There's a lot of good machines out there. It just depends on what you want your machine to do and how much you are willing to invest in a machine. Just because a machine is cheaper doesn't mean that it won't do what you want it to do. Shopping for a machine can be very secuctive with all the new bells and chimes on them.
A Bernina I've had for 20 years started having problems and I could not sew on it because the circuit board failed and there are no replacements. It was my favorite machine for quilting. I have 2 mechanical machines that never die. Do you want a machine to do machine embroidery? Or to automatically do quilting on the machine for you? The more you want, the more you pay. Try to see as many brands of machines that are available in your area. I prefer to buy local as they know your machine and know you. I did buy a newer Bernina that I bought home...but having to flip through all the windows on the machine to get to where you wanted to go was difficult and quilt confusing. So I took it back.
When I bought my last machine it does everything including the kitchen sink! The reason I bought it is because I'm getting older and it threads the needle for me automatically. A lot of machines (like Bernina) say that they "can thread themselves', but be sure to try it as it still might require you to position the thread just so and press a lever...a skill I never mastered. So ask if you can stitch on the machine and try out the functions instead of just watching them demo it for you.
Take your time and do not let them pressure you into purchasing a machine. Just tell them that you are still looking. It's ok to go back to the shop more than once to try out a machine. Try to go there when there isn't a lot of people in the store so they can spend time with you.
I look forward to hearing what machine you buy!