Howdy & welcome from Texas. My machine has a 6 1/2" throat & it's a real struggle to get it quilted. It's a good thing I really like the "quilting" aspect of making a quilt otherwise I would have a lot of flimsy quilt tops & no completed quilts.
I say the bigger the throat...the better. The needle up/down button is a really good feature for me also. Have fun with your new hobby.