I would go to the dealers and check out the different brands. You never know what will appeal to *you*. When I first got into sewing, I was given a Singer that I used till it died. I got it in my head that I wanted a Babylok for my first machine, but when I went to the store, nothing was just right. Then people told me to get a Bernina, so I went to that dealer but they were too expensive. They did have Janomes there, and I found one that's worked very well for me.
So I'd say shop around and maybe make a list of features you like. I like an auto threader and some sort of thread cutter. I also wish my machine had a blanket stitch, but that's for my next machine, I guess!