Oh Honey, I wish we could have it all but not that I could find in the under $300 price range.
Like Mocha said Elna is now owned by Janome, but also in that group is New Home and Kenmore. They all use the snap on feet, which seems to be pretty standard now. But truly I think it's wonderful how smooth that is.
Hmm, oh stitches, be carefull, sewing machine companies know that some people only look for number of different stitches, so they'll offer 70 or a hundred etc. but if you look at them you will see they are really very similiar stitches just different lengths and widths.
My Elna is a 2600, which isn't their cheapest machine, but certainly is not considered a high end machine. I got it on ebay and all over are posts of the troubles I have been through because it was damaged in shipping. I bought online one because I hate confrontation and having to explain over and over to sales people what I want, and two I don't like rubbing elbows with strangers and three the hard sell thing.
I found my sewing machine the very next morning after my auction closed(which I had watched from the day it listed) at a nearly local dealer offering me a 2 year parts and labor (I think it's got like 25 years for the rest) for only $9 more than my auction had closed on my "lightly used" one. Trust me after that I would shop the dealers. Listen to what they have to say, and don't let them bully you into a sale, those kits can wait for you to get the best deal not only for your money but for your own needs.