Ditto what Bella said. The Brother Nouvelle 1500S is a great machine with a 9" throat, straight stitch. However, I noticed the OP never stated what, to HER, is a larger throat, or what she considers expensive. It's different for everyone! I got my 1500S gently used for $400 - WITH a frame. You don't always HAVE to purchase from a dealer, there are lots of pre-owned machines for sale. There are machines with 9", 11", 13", 15", 18" throats, and then longarms all the way up to 26" (which I think is the largest, but I could be wrong).
What I'm trying to say is, it's entirely possible the machine you want DOES exist, but you simply haven't found it yet. Keep looking and do a lot of research online. Go to quilt shows and talk to the vendors. Tell them what you want and ask them to show you what they have that's close.