I don't have to eat at Jack in the Box to know it's cr@p.
As I see it:
Top Tier: LaMarzocco, Synesso, Mistral
Very Good: Nuova Simonelli, Cimbali, possibly Brasilia and Conti (NS probably best of this bunch) These are excellent HX machines, for those who prefer HX machines.
Good: Faema --- Very good if you understand the nuances of the E61 grouphead, Elecktra, Astoria, and (maybe) a few others.
Please God Don't: Astra, Klub, and any brand that no one's heard of.
Most important is 24/7 availability of service and parts.
Quality of build to eliminate need for the above.
Quality and consistency of espresso it produces.
The best machines will last 15-20+ years without any major problems.
I'm going to look at a Brasilia New in box but old stock from 2005.
I was just talking to a local this morning and his wife used to manage a Starbucks, and their friend owns the place. He said he's pretty sure they still have the Marzocco machines in the basement that were replaced by super-autos they use now. I'm hoping to get a look this weekend.
be wary that the LM's from Starbucks will need a bit of work, I would recommend having a tech look at it before you make a purchase, but you can probably get a 10-12K machine for $4k or less.