You should talk to dealers and sit down and try machines. Berninas are not all made in Europe any more - unless you get TOL or near they are made in Asia as well as every other sewing machine now. Janome is a Japanese company with excellent quality control, and I have three of them myself, though I have nothing against Berninas - I have used one and it sewed excellently, but so does my Janome 6300, and my old Pfaff. So really, it's up to what machine feels good to you, and what you like - it is so very subjective -
Have you been to PatternReview.com and read the machine reviews there? There are many many reviews and many a board thread full of pros and cons - in the end if you set your budget and buy with in that budget from any major brand, and have a dealer you like, and feel you like the machine - then you will probably love that machine for as long as you either want it or as long as it lasts. This isn't a once-in-a-lifetime-purchase ya know!
) These days many of us like more than one machine and over the years you acquire a couple for this or that purpose. Enjoy the search and don't forget that the end is to sew with it rather than to show off the brand!