I test drove it a couple of weeks ago.
And yes, a wonderful machine. You will not be disappointed in what it can do.
Keep in mind that it is only going to be a quilting machine ... and not for piecing!
If you are wanting to do straight lines, you are still doing it via FMQing.
You can use rulers to get those straight lines!!
And can use templates to stitch around for perfect shapes such as hearts, circles, etc.
You can do your quilting much easier than on a DSM (not fighting with the hole!) or the need to send out to a LAQ. Sit down is a plus, if you cannot stand for long times.
Only you know if you can justify the cost, for the usage it will get. Another negative that I saw, was that I would still have to sandwich my quilt (LAQ somewhat does that for you as part of the process).
It is the same machine (except for paint!) as the HandiQuilter Sweet 16, so if by chance you have an HQ dealer that's more local, check with them. Plus, I found that the S16 was considerably less than the Tiara which makes sense, being that there's one extra company to make $ on this!
That being said, check the other threads on this board about the S16, as it's all applicable to the Tiara.
Another advantage that I noticed was that S16 has a great 1-800 support service to the end user. I phoned them several times while I was doing my research. The people at CC KNOW the machine and can help you thru most anything, which is a plus as you could easily advance beyond your dealers knowledge.
BabyLock (at least in Canada) does not have any user support, and all you have is your local dealer, as good or bad as they may be for the support. I found that the HQ dealers here had represented the S16 since its inception, so "knew" the machine. The BL dealers are all just getting them, so they do not have historical knowledge, and are somewhat learning with you. Of course, all this depends on the interest of the dealer and how much they are working with the machine vs. letting it sit on the floor, and them "talking" about the machine.
Both BabyLock and HandiQuilter websites allow you to check who your nearest dealers are.
I wouldn't let your distance to your dealer deter you, if you see the value in your having it. It's a pretty basic machine ... and the results are going to come from you getting to know the machine and the age-old pratice-practice-practice! With the practice pieces I did, I felt hopeful that I could master it with that practice!!!
Is it worth the 4-5 hour drive? Yes ... make it into a girls getaway and FART ... The least that can happen is that you learn about the machine, and have a mini-holiday!
I am "sold" on the machine ... though I did not purchase ... and went for a larger throat DSM for now.
I felt I could not justify the cost, for the amount of time it would sit idle in my home.
I'm going to be paying attention to these machines, and with more FMQ skills developed with my new machine, someday I may have the S16 or comparable.