First I would decide what you want out of it.

Do you want to run inside only with little if any maintenance needs?

If yes to this the VS 24th scale tanks would be my choice.

Do you want to run outside and do battle and either are on a tight budget or don't want to spend to much?

IF yes then the Henglong tanks available at www.rccommand.com would be my choice.

Do you want to battle and build a nice kit and have a top notch tank?

If yes to this then one of the tamiya models would be my choice.

I am new to tanks myself (however not new to rc) but did a lot of research before I bought. I wanted to run outside with the possibility of upgrading to battle IR but didn't want to spend 1000 plus so I went with e henglong tank over tamiya. They are good tanks and require some maintenance to keep running. I will one day build a tamiya but these are keeping me happy for now. I went with the metal track versions. I am thinking of buying some VS tanks to toy around inside with as well.