I'm looking at the Brother Luminaire, sewing and embroidery machine...looks like a winner to me..I'm thinking this will be my next purchase...take a look at it..you may like it too..

the Luminaire is a killer machine in all respects but one ...
it will not sew smoothly over lumpy seam intersections.

for sewing, nothing has been better than my janome machines with Accufeed.
their newest embroidery-capable machines produce cleaner embroidered text than brother/babylock, too.

that said ... the Luminaire has one thing none of the janome emb-cap machines has.
the built in scanner will make positioning your projects a breeze.
i use my Dream Machine2 for quilting. couldn't do that efficiently without the scanner.

whichever make or model you consider, make sure you can test it in person and that you can get service/repair services within a reasonable distance.

Every member my sew group has the Luminaire Brother machine. I don't. Too many features I will never use and the set up takes too much time for me. They said use it one time and you will be sold. I have used theirs and I spent more time formatting then sewing. They are nice machines but not for me as I don't do care too much for doing embroidery or edge to edge embroidery quilting. The majority of my sewing is piecing straight seams so this machine would be very over qualified for the job.

There is no “best”....the one you use is the best. Machines go from free to skies the limit in price.

That's probably the most impossible question to answer. We are as different as our machines.
I would make a list of what features you want within your budget and narrow it down that way.

To me, choosing a new sewing machine is a personal thing. I like some and don't care for others. I make a list of what I want and start there. I would recommend a good dealer instead of a big box store. A dealer will be there to help with teaching you to get the most out of the machine you chose. Also price can be a huge factor in choosing a machine. Personally, I love my Pfaff. The machine feels right when I sit down to it. It's like driving a Chevy or a Ford, both will get you where you want to go but its the quality of the ride you are after.

I find that all of the brands are really good at something, but that each model also requires a small compromise in some area. I will make up some possible examples to show what I mean.

A small, narrow feed Pfaff with IDT might make a great little traveler and the best piecer in history for a sensible price, but maybe it is too small for a big quilt, or the foot height limits your bag making. Bernina has some excellent jeans and bag makers (with their big motors, stable feet, and hammer mode), but maybe you find them too heavy or too computerized. So you try a Juki TL for that sweet mechanical simplicity with just the right amount of modern features, and although you love the performance of that vertical bobbin system for free motion work, you find the side-loading and needle threading hard to get used to. Janome has the more convenient drop-in bobbin, plus impressive, innovative feed options and large quilt space, but maybe you have no Janome tech nearby. Brother is well known for leading-edge embroidery technology, like the mind-blowing Luminaire mentioned above, but maybe the prices make you feel faint. The prices on Singer.com are really amazing right now, but maybe you would enjoy local sewing classes with friends and they all have Babylocks.

Nothing right or wrong about any of this....it is just made up just to show why we need to know what YOUR opinions and projects and sewing needs are to find you a good match. So many good machines out there to enjoy.

I have used every popular brand on the market. My first choice still is what I have which is a high end brother. Love my muvit foot more than anything. I like juki I have a serger I love but have never owned a sewing machine. Second choice would be janome, viking and pfaff are kind of even. Bernina is at the bottom for me of all the brands. It really depends on the budget and features you want. Machines are very much a personal choice and opinion. Many people say bernina is best. I have used both a 5 series and a 7 series. I hated both models and was disappointed since everyone raves about them. To me the only bernina I would shell out dollars for is a sit down q20 but I feel those are still overpriced for sit down midarm IMHO.