Owing a Sapphire 870 (the precursor to the 875) makes me very prejudiced....had her six years and she performs so well. Not having the presser foot lever is a BLESSING -- it doesn't catch your material when quilting. (On my serger, the presser foot lever is up and out of the way when sewing, don't understand why this isn't standard on sewing machines as well, must be a technical issue.)
Living where there are issues with getting things professionally serviced limited my choices -- and I've been very pleased with the service provided by the shop where this machine was purchased. It can be a hassle getting parts in a timely fashion if you have a machine where there is no local dealer.
Always good to try out the competition -- only you can tell which machine feels the best and suits your needs!