Very few people can fly a straight line before competing. Basic should be the class of choice irrespective of plane size until you can fly the basic maneuvers on line and wind corrected. Moving up too soon is a very common mistake. I am one of those who made it, and have regretted it time and time again.

Low price: EF Yak gets my vote.
Mid price: H9 33% ARF (pick one) with a ZDZ-80 or BME-102 (get the engine used and save a lot of $$$).
Use coreless servos, they do not need to be digital (go check the equipment list for the last TOC to get ideas).

Burn a lot of gas and above all, have fun.