If you're looking to spend ~$500 you can get a great machine for sure. Having said that, I was NOT looking to spend that. I looked at some cheaper options and the best one I think you can buy for under $100 is this one:
Mr. Coffee ECMP50
It's a pump (as opposed to steam) and makes a pretty dang good cup of espresso with an excellent crema. The only problems are it's very automatic and you can't really tailor it to your taste. On the other hand, it's very automatic and easy to use
lol.