Be honest with yourself, do you only want the newer machine for the extra throat space? I know extra stitches are nice and all but many a person has quilted beautiful quilts on an ordinary everyday domestic sewing machine.
The only reason I say this is because Im new to quilting and when I bought my machine which is a basic Janome I thought about what was it that I really needed the machine for and if I chose to make clothes and other sewing projects it will enable me to do so. Since I have however chosen to make or at least attempt to make quilts! Maybe in a few years I'll get a better machine, then again maybe not. So think carefully about it before you part with your hard earned cash
Fiona.