Just curious, who makes the best T-34/85? Preferably one used near the end of the war as the Soviets reached Berlin.

Dragon makes a 1944 version and a 45 with bedspring armor.
AFV Club makes one with full interior ,
Tamiya , Zvezda , RPM / Maquette and Italrei all make one.
All seem to have oversights and mistakes to varying degrees. I guess it's up to you on how perfect you want the kit to be when finished. Check out the review section for expert comments on these kits. Various companys make PE and resin parts ie: fenders , turrets and track.
Personally I'ld build the AFV , just because of the interior. I'm not too worried about 100 % acturacy . The dozen Tamiya t-34s I've got is the closest I've ever been to one of these vehicles. Gues I'm still playing toy soldiers.

Hi Sean

I believe it was the Russians but I think they stopped a while ago. They did build up quite a bit of expertise over the years.

sorry.

Although I think you ought to define what you mean by the "Best" in terms of what price, accuracy, ease of build, fun, parts, mistakes, extras available.

There was quite a hot debate about this when AFV Club started to release their interior detailed kits on to the market, if you want to do a search. That is of course if you don't get the same contributors making their feelings known in this thread.

Alan

The Dragon kits are quite reasonable in detail and accuracy for a Factory 183 vehicle with the so-called flattened turret. Dragon has offered the early and late cupola versions. The late type with the one-piece hatch also has the hull with the squared off front fenders. The early type cupola with the two-piece hatch cover has a hull that features the round type fenders commonly seen until the last months of the war. Despite the box label on the early variant, only the Factory 183 turret is included.
As I recall, the newest AFV Club kit depicts the Factory 174 variant, which had a wider turret. This kit is the transparent version with interior parts, which I find a bit gimmicky. I bought one, but will paint it completely (and leave out any parts not visible through the hatches). The armor is smooth as glass to facilitate the see-through option, so the castings will need a texturing coat.
The Dragon kits include their Magic Track individual links, which friction fit together and can be draped into place after a quick application of slow setting cement. The AFV Club kit includes vinyl track, but they offer workable styrene track links as a separate kit (which also work on other makers' kits).
The Tamiya T-34-85 mates their not very accurate T-34 hull (designed in 1974) with a drastically short turret (designed around 1988). There is barely room for the ventilators behind the cupola, as the turret bustle is so shortened. Avoid it.
The Zvezda T-34-85 depicts another Factory 183 vehicle, but has much cruder engineering than Dragon's versions. It has rather stiff vinyl track (two lengths per side, which must be heat bonded together with a knife blade). This kit can also appear in Italeri or Revell/Germany boxes.
The RPM/Maquette kit depicts a very late Factory 112 version, with the separate ventilators on the turret roof. Molding is really crude, with many sink holes and lots of flash, though some of the detailing isn't bad. Old school link to link track, which requires much clean up and test fitting. Some boxings include an engine and transmission.

Dragon got it right. Even the 13 year old kit is still very good. I think CH has reboxed it on the orange label.