I wouldn't even call it a tank. It's a tractor with a cannon.
When I first heard of the game, I assumed I was going to drive real tanks, not tractors.
IMO, the game should've started with tanks from Tier 2 like the M3 Stuart, or Panzer II.
Even then, by the time you start driving REAL tanks, Panzer IV/T34/M4, you start getting blown to bits by artillery and supertanks that were just prototypes during the war. Examples include putting a Hetzer against KV-3s and T29s. You're slow, so you can't scout. Your gun is like a wet noodle.
In other MMOs, at least you can actually DO something while grinding, in WoT, you sit there waiting to get blown up. Only until you reach T9 or T10 tanks does the game FEEL like the way it was meant to play.