I feel like I got the most for my money ($500 budget) by going with the brother pc420 prw model from amazon for $400. It has lots of features, works great for both quilting and garment sewing and is easy to use. It came with tons of feet and really is a lot of machine for the price. I have a young family and a limited budget. I don't need a top of the line machine to sew, and feel liked can upgrade when my budget allows it if needed. As a mom I don't have time to go to classes so use YouTube and forums to learn things anyways, so the dealer support didn't seem necessary for me at my price point.
Good luck!