Echoing what has been said. Try as many machines as you can. An Expo is a great place to do this. If you live far from where quilting Expos are held, think of the trip to one, as your research and part of the purchase cost of the machine. As Iceblossom said the machine has to fit your body.
I went to Sew Expo in Puyallup in 2015 and tried all the different brands of machines. My long range plan was to buy a new machine in 2020, but I found a used HQ16 locally 5 months later and purchased it. I may or may not upgrade it at some point in the future, I have not yet "outgrown" the machine.
Having some sort of local service available is really important to me. I am lucky that there are two HQ dealers each an hour away from where I live. One has had an incredible quilter come do lessons for a weekend. They were fantastic.
Have you have the opportunity to try out a friends machine or rent time on a LA? I did not before I took the plunge, looking back it would have been a good idea, and I would have if I had not had the opportunity to buy the used machine.
If you are being offered the cash now, see if you can put it into a Money Market fund, T-Bill or other safe investment while you take the time to make your decision.
Oh, if I upgrade I likely will buy used again. I am quite happy for someone else to take the bit hit on depreciation in the first couple years.
Lastly, keep in mind that you can take lessons on any brand of machine. You will need software specific lessons, but in general ruler work is ruler work no matter the brand of machine.