I know that it's not technically a tank. But it seems to have a lot going for it, It's fast, cheap, reliable and small. while also being able to knock out the vast majority of tanks reliably. Other vehicles like the STuG, Jagdpanzer IV/70 and Panzer IV are similar but i think they're all at a disadvantage compared to Hetz. I was hoping someone could tell me if there's stuff i'm overlooking regarding the performance of German tanks that would make the 38 less appealing.
Technically it is not a tank and technically it is not even German. Its chassis was designed in 1935-1937, its armor was unsuitable for any other use except ambush, its profile was quite high, about 30cm/12in higher than Jagdpanzer IV, its usability was very bad - crew space was cramped, loading was done from the left side although gun control and safety switches were on the right, visibility was poor, virtually unable to see on the right side, escape hatch was on the back, making it hard to evacuate. I would recommend New Vanguard Series "Jagdpanzer 38t Hetzer, 1944-45" - Hilary Doyle, Tom Jentz & Mike Badrocke, if you can find it - it is just 48 pages, but the Operational History chapter describes pretty well the shortcomings.