Know thyself is the best place to start as has been pointed out. I only piece tops for Project Linus and I don't have close access to classes on all the new bells and whistles that newer machines have. Your location relevant to a good dealer or service person is a major issue, IMHO. So, first question, what features will you use? Then, keep it simple.
Even though I love my 20 year old Bernina, I will never purchase another electronic machine, especially Bernina. Because the Bernina company is proprietary and (I have been told) has changed hands, I have to have an "authorized" dealer and even then some electronic boards/parts cannot be replaced. We have to travel out of the swamp for two hours just to find such an authorized person and, even then, some parts for my Bernina can no longer be found. So your location relevant to your dealer is a consideration. So, I am very happy and very familiar with my Bernina that has a circuit board that is failing! I am old enough that I don't want to buy a "new" machine to learn as this one does what I want it to do but those days are numbered. I am moving backward to the old mechanical machines and have been thrilled with using them as backup. I have my MIL's old Singer clone which is heavy as lead but the stitch can not be matched. I also just bought a "rose case" Kenmore to travel with and it is amazing. BUT these are simple machines and do only basic things. Still, they do all I need and more. And, I have the satisfaction of sewing green on these older machines. So when my Bernina finally dies, I am still able to do what I need/want to do. My money will go to fabric.