I also recommend a brother machine. I've had mine 7+ years and not a single issue with it. I would buy brother again if I needed to replace mine. I am somewhere in between beginner and intermediate skill level, and this was the machine I started out on
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000JQM1DE
This one on amazon is under $100 and has lots of reviews, looks like people are quite happy with it
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000F7DPEQ
This sewing machine for my mother. She lost her last one in a move (it got damaged) and she has been doing a lot more knitting and stuff lately. I anticipate tears. Last year, I got her a kindle fire. She uses that one a lot, but she has been talking about wanting to sew doll clothes for my niece.
Almost everyone else is getting kind of lame stuff (standard toys for the kids, books and alcohol for my sisters, and... well, my dad is getting a group present from all of us).
He has a powerchair from social security, but he doesn't get the same freedom with the powerchair that he can get with the scooter.
Brother CS6000i Feature-Rich Sewing Machine With 60 Built-In Stitches, 7 styles of 1-Step Auto-Size Buttonholes, Quilting Table, and Hard Cover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JQM1DE/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_KbzGwb4HTNABS
I cannot recommend this enough. It's my second sewing machine. My first was my grandma's from the 1940s then this. Comes with lots of accessories. I bought mine "used" from amazon warehouse for I think $125 because the box was beat up (but the machine and all accessories were perfect and present). I have nothing to compare it to but the 5k reviews on amazon loved it and I have been very pleased with it.
FYI if you want help with review honesty, try sites like reviewmeta.com--it'll show you what percent of reviews are likely fake with certain metrics. The layout of the Juka machine looks weirdly simplistic, basic things like changing stitch length or width doesn't look as intuitive. You can't go wrong with any of those $130-200 Brother/Janome machines with literally thousands of reviews that come up with a quick Amazon search--plus, popular machines will have more reviews/tutorials/troubleshooting on youtube.
Unless your girlfriend is making crafts where she'd need some ornate leaf-pattern stitching, don't look into types of stitches as a measure of superiority. Unless she wants to sew thick wools, with the appropriate thread and needles, I don't think there's much variation in durability with those $100-200 machines. You don't need a computerized embroidery machine with fonts for garment construction; that being said, this one has lots of extra features for a low price if you think she wants to experiment.
My grandma uses this one, which I like because of the table (sooo much nicer working with more space)--but I'm guessing that's fairly standard for machines to have. Mine's a 30+yo machine from craigslist so I can't speak for modern plastic/computerized machines.
If you're still looking to spend around $400 for a gift, you could also get her a serger. It's absolutely not necessary for sewing, but it helps get cleaner sturdier stitches and things like rolled hems on delicate fabrics--but it's also a thousand times more complicated though (getting perfect tension/stitch sizing for different fabrics with 4 threads), I have a love/hate relationship with mine. Or had, before I let my grandma keep it and she gave it away to a needy relative.
I have this Brother machine and it works great. I have been sewing for years on and off and would consider myself a beginner still. This machine was budget-friendly and works great for me! I make clothes and small projects, and it has done zippers, liners, buttons, whatever I ask of it.