Close to it. By far the best "medium" tank in the game. The PZIV is a joke compared to a Panther, as you well know.
As for QB house rules, if my opponent doesn't say anything prior to Turn 1, then I just assume no defender 1st turn pre-planned arty strikes and no TRPs or pre-planned arty strikes in meeting engagements, and anything else goes. If my opponent wants more stringent house rules, I usually go along with them.
I had one opponent who gave me a long laundry list of house rules, which I found quite tiresome, then he wanted to play an Assault, with him attacking, which of course gave him a tremendous points advantage. I went along with it, for the first and last time.