The only reason people say that a T bar car is easier to set up, and a car with cells is easier to drive is because that's what people have been running for years! A LiPo link car is comparatively new and not so many people at club level have much experience of them. I've been running a link car with LiPo since the start of the year and am now faster with that than I was with T bar/cells.
Anyone new to a class needs a bit of help. I suggest coming over to Chesterfield on a Saturday night and talking to a few people, it's worth far more than a few posts on a forum.
Oh, and if you're going to run LiPo DEFINITELY get a link car, as mentioned above. If you get a T bar car and saddle pack LiPo you'll be almost on your own.
There's lots of good advice in the posts above. Take particular notice of SlowOne and Chequered Flag Racing, some good experience there. KRob's not so bad too
Trev