If you have a Singer dealer near you, have a look at the S18. It is made by Janome for Singer and is the same machine as the Janome 6500P for a little less money. It has the larger harp space, needle down, thread cut, tons of stitches, many dedicated for quilting and so far it's been fantastic. My only complaint is that the light is only on one side of the needle so I had to get an accessory lamp, but that's pretty minor. Anyhow, if you're looking at the Janome, you might consider the Singer as it's the same machine.
Watson