One thing I noticed is that Bernina has so many high profile spokespersons that all get the newest machines to use so of course it is the brand many think is the ultimate machine. Branding and marketing makes the machine more desirable. I think the older machines were excellent and worth the money. The new models do not seem to be reliable. There is a reason the Bernina dealer here is backed up on repairs. So many new ones are brought in to be fixed. I can see the repair shop from a back open window in the shop. There are rarely any old models on the shelf, all new models.