I love my featherweights! I have several, which I thought I needed every time I bought one!
You seem to be doing good research as you consider buying one. However, the most important thing you need to do is sew on one. You might love it; you might not. Featherweights sew a beautiful straight stitch; they don't do zig zag. They are very, very good at what they were designed to do. But after your Bernina, you might be disappointed in its limitations. For example, you can't push a button and make it stop with the needle down; and no matter what you do, the case will always have a certain "smell," even if you get rid of most of it. But, you can find lots of options for cases (several that look like a small fabric cooler, or ones with wheels) that are just fine. And, it will never "gain weight," so it will always be easy to take to classes.
As far as cost goes, once you go above about $225, you are paying for looks. None of my machines are super shiny with all the decals intact. But, they all sew beautifully, and I love them all!