My non-guild quilt group actually started out as a kind of longarmer's support group. We would go around to each other's homes and check out each other's longarms and setups, compare tips, problems, solutions, notes, etc. We had all kinds of machines: Tin Lizzie, Handiquilter, APQS, Gammill, Nolting, Voyager, and Innova. However, most of the group has gradually moved over into Innova machines. We have a couple of HQs and a Gammill holdout, but Innova is the sweet spot, and the Innova owners in our group have no complaints, they all LOVE their machine. I think that's about the best recommendation any machine can get.
I recommend finding someone in your area that rents time on the machine, or will give classes. That is actually the BEST way to test drive a longarm. I took longarm classes at Boersma's, an Innova dealer south of Portland. I had the chance to load the quilt on the frame, I adjusted the tension, worked on different size machines with different features, did a LOT of practice quilting, was able to pick the teacher's brains for 5 hours. Yes I paid for the class, but let me tell you, when you're making such a major purchase, $100-$150 seems like a bargain when you're trying to make the best, most well-informed decision.