More realistic are of course the replicas copies such 21 C,FV and last New Ray in 1.36 scale aprox. If you want perfection as you are a 100% purist then you either get a KIT and build it yourself (but can not play with it all) or make your own with your great skills!! Nothing is perfect ,no one is perfect.
Fritz, you are right that the BEST way to get a really good model is to build it from a kit. I have a whole room full of Shermans, halftracks, jeeps, etc waiting to be built. Unfortunately, I get so obsessive about those that it is no longer relaxing. If I take a basic Sherman, M3A1 halftrack or whatever in 1/32nd and add some details, do some repainting, etc than I find that more relaxing (more "fun"). Is it wrong to want something better to start from? If I want some 1/32nd vehicles to display with my figures, they are in very short supply. 1/35th scale won out over 1/32nd in about 1977 or so (I know, I was there and built many of those kits). One can obtain all kinds of wonderful vehicles, figures, accessories in 1/35th scale, and there is still a modest range available in 1/48th, but 1/32nd (54mm) is not supported except for a few Airfix re-releases.
The saddest thing to me is the manufacturers never ask anybody about these products. The production costs for a poor tank are only slightly less than for a good one, so why not produce the best item that still hits your price point?
Gary B.
Waverly, NE