I'll be interested in seeing how big an argument this turns into. This question has been asked many times before and every time it ends up in a big debate about Tamiya against the rest of the world.

As a new tanker I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else, start with a cheap one hundred dollar HL tank and see if you even like the hobby. If so, you can get one of the more expensive models and still have the HL tank to play with. I personally recommend the Tauchpanzer, but some guys like the Bulldog better, or the PIII or the Tiger. Whichever way you go, start with minimal investment until you get a feel for the hobby and decide which areas you want to concentrate on (IR battles, airsoft in the backyard, etc.)

I even did a video to answer this question, so maybe this will help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFU5J2vVFks