I toss my vote for a Janome! I got a new 6500 for $900 and love it! BUT.... with that being said.... go to any place and take a test drive of different machines. They all "feel" and "sound" different. Think about what you really want in a new machine. for me... it was a auto thread cutter, needle up & down button, and a BIG throat area for space to roll up quilts when doing my own quilting. I almost bought a new Bernina then realize the one I could afford only had a 6 inch throat area. I bought my Janome online from
http://www.american-sewing.com/ about 3 yrs ago and LOVE IT! He offered a 30 day full refund and even to pay for return shipping if I didn't like it. I just he knew I would love it!!!
Good Luck in finding the right one for you.