What bonuses are we talking about? Again about the HVAP, aren't you tired? But I'm tired
No, specifically the tricks you can do using the vehicle crews:
Getting out and self-repairing the tank
Getting out and drastically lowering the pop-cap used by the tank (and then get in to exceed 100-cap)
Getting out during a fight, causing the panther to NOT target the empty vehicle (requires manual targeting by the axis player)
Panther on average is better in other respects.
Speed - 6.6 | Acceleration - 2.4 (3.1 vet3) | Rotate 30 (36 vet3) | Accuracy far: 0.35 | (0.44 vet5) | Reload duration 5.2 - 5.6 (3.64 - 3.92 vet3) (2.55 - 2.74 vet5)
Jackson:
Speed - 6.5 Acceleration - 3 | Rotate 30 | Accuracy far: 0.35 (0.46 vet3) Reload duration 4.38 - 4.97 (2.98 - 3.38 vet3)
Not sure how your color coding works... Regardless:
Speed - correct
6.6 vs. 6.5 is under a 2% difference, especially considering you're very rarely going in a straight line all the time, that said, I guess the panther is technically faster.
Acceleration - correct for OKW / incorrect for OST
2.4 vs. 3 acceleration is a massive difference (25%!), so that's a significant advantage for the M36, allowing it to get away easily in most cases. Your Vet 3 acceleration is only true for OKW (3.12), for OST it's only a +10%, so 2.64, which is still ~14% slower
Rotation - correct
I can't find stats for this right now, but it's probably correct
Accuracy - incorrect
Neither the OKW or OST versions gain accuracy at vet 3
The OKW Vet 5 +25% accuracy is only for the on the move modifier, which I believe brings it's moving accuracy to 0.625. Note, however, that the Vet 5 sight radius only applies when stationary, so they're mutually exclusive. I'm not sure how OKW's Vet 4 "-25% scatter" works, exactly, so I haven't factored that in.
The +30% accuracy at for the M36, however, does apply to the stationary stat, but is at Vet 2, not vet 3.
Reload - incorrect
OKW Panther does not get improved reloading at Vet 5, only the -30% at Vet 3. Ost does get -30% at vet 3, though, bringing both to 5.2/5.6 vet 0 and 3.64/3.92 at vet3
The M36 gains a -20% reload bonus at vet 2 and a -15% bonus at vet 3, bringing it to 4.375/4.975 vet 0, 3.5/3.98 vet 2, 2.975/3.383 vet 3
So in the end, for those stats, the M36 accelerates faster (except vs. vet 3 OKW panthers), is more accurate, fires much faster and with more range.
At 1-3 vets, Jackson's penetration increase significantly. But this is still not enough against Jagdtiger. But the panther also gets more armor. Sherman E8 (Rifle Company) did not just penetrate Panther vet1 (Standart Army) many times. And again, Jackson was needed.
Nothing is enough to consistently pen the JT from the front - that's by design. I've explained numerous times that there's no intended way to do this. You're supposed to flank, immobilize or use off-map. It's an incredibly slow vehicle with no turret vs. a fast vehicle with a turret. It's the same for the elephant.
Edit: I miss-read the patch notes, as pointed out by SkysTheLimit. The +10% Armor bonus is now at vet 2 for both OKW/OST. This puts both panthers at 286 armor, which gives the M36 a ~77% chance to penetrate at vet 0, and a 100% penetration chance at vet 3, without HVAP.
The price difference I have already wrote (1 page). And this is ridiculous compared to the difference in armor and health.
Only the fuel cost in comparison to armor/HP - not the entire unit.
So:
490mp/185f/18 pop (OKW/Ost panther)
vs.
400mp/140f/14 pop (and you can get out to lower the pop further)
So that's 18% more MP, 25% more fuel, 23% more pop in exchange for:
+100% frontal armor (+120% OKW/Ost vet 2)
+50% rear armor (+65% OKW/Ost vet 2)
+50% HP
+2% top speed
0% rotation (+20% OKW/OST Vet 3)
0% accuracy (-30% M36 vet 2)
0% penertation (-30% M36 Vet 3)
-10 range (-5 OKW Vet 4)
-25% acceleration (-14% OST Vet 3, +4% OKW Vet 3)
-50% moving accuracy (-20% OKW Vet 5)
-16%/-12% reload speed (-18%/-14% vet 3 vs. vet 3)
And, as I pointed out before, that
So +50%HP and +2% movement for all that those downsides, and more cost.
Again subjective opinion. I don't need your advice, I can give you advice against Jackson too.
Moving accuracy is a must. Jackson cannot stand against panther and tigers, it has 100% less armor and 50% health. Jackson must always be on the move in order to survive. I remind you of this many times.
JagdTiger tooltip, in game:
The Jagdtiger or 'Hunting Tiger' is one of the most powerful tank destroyers on any battlefield. Its extremely potent 128mm PaK 44 main gun can destroy any enemy tank while armor up to 250mm thick keeps the Jagdtiger on the front lines. Its poor maneuverability is its Achilles' heel. Effective against all vehicles, defenses and structures.
Elefant tooltip, in game:
Allows the Elefant Tank Destroyer to be called onto the battlefield. This behemoth has devastating range, firepower, and virtually impenetrable front armor. However, it’s lack of turret and slow speed make it vulnerable to flanking maneuvers.
KingTiger tooltip, in game:
The "King Tiger" is a massive Heavy Tank with unparalleled armor and firepower. It requires all sWs Half-tracks be deployed into structures. An option to deploy it will then become available. Like all Heavy Tanks, it is susceptible to flanking due to slow turn speed and turret rotation.
And yes, the M36 can't stand still vs. a Panther, that's why it has +10 range and +25% acceleration; use that to keep out of it's range, and use your lower cost to out-produce. Tigers are even easier, since they're slower.