Have you checked any of the older and ongoing sewing machine threads on the QB? There is a lot of information on a variety of machines.
For me, it's Pfaff all the way, even though I would give Janome a chance also. I love my Pfaff for the built-in walking foot, the needle-down position, and needle-side position (not sure what the correct term is), the low-bobbin indicator, and the nice blanket stitch. I can select a slow mode on the machine, or I can go pedal to the medal.
It does not have a very large throat area for actual quilting but, I make it work for me. If it were me, I'd want to test drive a new machine to see if I liked it and it felt like a good match.