I have a Viking 870 and a Brother 1500s. Viking, computerized, bells and whistles, needs to be serviced once a year (I do it less than that) at 100$ a pop. Brother is straight stitch only - which means feed dogs are close to the needle giving an excellent straight stitch and much better free motion quilting. Clean and oil yourself for free.
I got the Brother on recommendations from this board because I was so frustrated with the finickiness of my Viking and have never looked back. A real reliable workhorse, excellent stitch.
I use the Viking when I need to zig-zag, satin stitch etc. I also have used the decorative stitches for Carol Ann Waugh's "Stupendous Stitching" but the Brother is definitely my go-to machine for piecing, quilting and any straight stitching I do.
I have an old Kenmore - 45 years old, which has zig-zag, fancy stitches with cams etc. Metal, sturdy, reliable. The only reason I don't use it more is I could not get a freemotion foot for it, and it has a very small throat, relatively speaking. But give me the sturdy, basic, "self-service" machines any day.
You do want a large throat even though you say you are only doing smaller items. It makes even small size quilts easier, and you don't know where you will be going in the future.