I've owned 2 Berninas that I loved. I still have one that is my go-to machine for something quick and garment construction. I've started using my mother's old Singer 301A for piecing and it's a dream. No fancy stitches but you could probably find one at a reasonable price. I also have a Singer Rocketeer that my husband bought me that I haven't had much chance to play with yet. I'm going to do my next project on it. I agree with all of those who said to go to a local dealer and try out machines to find which one "fits". I notice that you are in the Chicago area so should have a lot of dealers to choose from.
Another alternative is to have a sewing machine shop look at your Kenmore and see if it can be fixed.