Do you only want it for taking pictures of your car? Or do you want to use it to take to parties or whatever and snap quick shots? Or do you want to use it to take higher grade photos with more manual control to flex your artistic muscle?
In a nutshell, point-and-shoot or a bigger camera?
Do you want CF or SD memory? Consider whether you'll have the opportunity to share cards among different devices.
Just don't forget to check FatWallet for the latest deals on cameras. If you really want a smoking cam for <$300 you'll need something like FW to make a deal.....most of the cameras that I consider good are >$300 even with a FW deal, except for the occasional rare great price mistake deal....
I've got a S400 and I love it. Personally I don't like anything below 4 MP, but that's just me......good luck getting it near $300....there have been deals, but it's rare.
b