OK, I have owned the TC3 and the TC4. The TC4 is a great improvement on the TC3, which was a national/world champion for many years, which speaks for the car. The TC4 is a lower riding chassis and will be a very stable carpet racer, and works awesome for drifting on a clean surface. The TC3/4 have upgrades galore and very long 'life-spans' at hobby shops due to their popularity. The HPI line of cars doesn't get anywhere in comparison until you get into the RS4 3, Pro3, Pro4 range. Comparing a Pro4 next to a TC4 is tough because the TC4 comes in several flavors ( sport, team, rtr, factory team ) and greatly differs in parts quality and ability. The factory team TC4, not yet released, will be comparable with the Pro4. In that comparison the Pro4 is my best bet for the winner.

Going along with your short time-span before you potentially buy a car it's safe to recommend a TC4 team kit, Pro4, or a Losi XXX-S Graphite+. Those 3 cars are great racers/drifters, and you won't be disappointed. Once you pick out a chassis you can build it and decide what are the best components to add to it and get a good idea of the total price you will potentially spend. I recommend buying the rest of the stuff from tower hobbies to save you up wards of 100-200 compared to your LHS. I hope this gives you a little to chew on, and good luck. [8D]