Ok, for my two cents worth, here are my thoughts...
I have over the last 2 years had a Tamiya Pershing, Sherman, and Tiger 1 of which I still have the Tiger. I also have had 2 T-34s one of which has been scratched into a T-44 and is still in my inventory along with 2 more still in the box 34s, soon to be another 44 and su-100. I just recently picked up the panther from H/L.
All of my tanks have Tamiya electronic and combat systems in them, and are for those trips to Danville and our local battles on the weekends. All have various mods done to them to make them combat ready, combat systems, speed, etc.
As for my opinion, as hobby shop owner and a r/c flyer/driver/tanker all of these tanks has good and bad qualities. The Tamiya tanks have to have speeds adjusted and other minor mods done to make them reliable and legal to fight, but the combat system adapts easily and works OK. As with real tanks the tracks on the Tamiya tanks have a nasty habit of making you a pill-box at the worst possible times, but we all know that and drive to avoid it from happening.
The msw T-34s (my personal favorite) have their own short falls. First you have to rip out all the electronics and use tamiya pershing electronics to get all the right moves and sounds. The arms are weak and have to be replace or modified to work and I do not care for the stock trannys and switched mine out. I do know alot of guys use the stock ones and have had success with them. Final opinion is I am happy with the scale and the operation of these tanks after my mods.
Now for the H/L Panther, Same same, rip out the cheap electronics and installed Tamiya Tiger 1 electronics. I like the trannys they come with and after 3 heavy battles (30-45minutes each) this week-end they look good. Don't like the plastic drive sprockets and the arms are weak like the 34, but they did well in the dirt. Had to mod the wheel so they are in the right pattern and molded inserts for the inner wheel so they were not just hollow plastic wheels. Modified the front so that the front plate sloped all the way down instead of having the flat topped front end.(easy mod) The tanks is too wide by about an inch, but length and height are close. The turret is over-sized (really over) but left plenty of room for the elevation, recoil, a camera, and the combat system in it. Overall it does OK on the field.
Final point in my opinion is these are what you make them, i.e. Hobby. If I was just playing around, which most people do they are all OK. With the T-34s and the H/L being inexpensive. They have their niche and fill it. If you want a combat tank then they just like the Tamiya can get expensive. I have almost as much in my T-34, 44 and Panther as I did in my Sherman and Pershing by the time I had them Combat ready.
Anyways I try to keep things in perspective and have fun. Repair when I need to and try to shoot all the others.