What is the best German tank?

Answer 1

Panzer Mk IIIs/IVs.

Actually, I would rate the Panther (Panzer V) as the best combination of firepower, armor, and mobility of all the tanks that Germany produced. The Panzer III/IV was effectively obsolete by 1942, being outgunned and under-armored relative to contemporary foes (the T-34, M3 Sherman, and A15 Crusader). The Tiger was over-armored, over-gunned, slow, and expensive to make.

Overall, the Panther was more than a match for any medium tank produced by the Allies (including the Soviets' T-34), and could fight on a mostly-equal terms with practically all the heavy tanks. It had good cross-country speeds (thanks to wide tracks), excellent armor design and amounts, and a gun more powerful than any except the heavy tanks. It suffered from a design flaw in the main drive wheel, an over-engineered main engine and drivetrain, and bad road wheel layout. However, other German tanks had similar (or worse) flaws, and overall, the final Ausf F model of the Panther is an excellent design, and by far the best bang/buck of any tank model produced by Germany.