My advice is to get the best machine for the money. If she is a beginning sewer (sewist, whatever) and has struggles with a low-end cheapo piece of garbage machine, that could kill her interest. Check with the local quilt shops, guilds, and dealers to see if there is a gently used mid-level machine within his price range.
Another thought - years ago, my husband got me a re-manufactured Brother from Overstock, and that little machine was my daily driver for 8 years, until I got my big Brother 1500. I still use that little machine every now and then, it works great.