I think it really depends on what part of the hobby interests you. If the tinkering and modding hardware aspect appeals to you the Creality ender is good platform to mod. Similar to it are the Voxellab Aquila's that are built a little better but aren't as popular. You can often make alterations to them that you would make on an Ender but you have to account for the differences in them. They are also a great way to understand what you do and do not like about the hobby without breaking the bank.

However if you are more interested in 3d modeling and just printing things out without a ton of hassle, then look at the Bambu Labs offerings or a Prusa Mk4. They are stable workhorses with more premium features and make the process much easier since they have less tinkering to do in between prints and more automation to them. They are more expensive because of this but you definitely get what you pay for with them. They are still modifiable as well if you find you want to make changes to them down the road.