You will see that people often steer you away from export rigs to get an HF rig. That's because most of us have been there, done that, and we are only trying to save you your hard earned money in the long run. If you are a technician class operator, chances are you're going to want to get General... especially because 10 meters will be pretty dead for a few years. Not to say there won't be action there, but it will be scarce.
The only time I can really stick up for an export is if you are in a mobile, you want to play on 10, and you also need an 11 meter rig for travel. It's not legal, of course, but an export can fill the void between a decent 10 meter ssb rig and good performance on 11 meters. Most HF rigs don't slam out a signal on AM like people want on CB, and an export can provide that. All that being said, if you have the room in your vehicle, get a Cobra or Galaxy for AM operation on 11 meters, and an HF rig for 10 (and other bands when you get General). The small FT-450 is a very compact rig, as are the FT-857D (older technology, but still works well) and the Kenwood TS-480 (kinda old tech but proven) and TS-50 (really old). The little 857D will give you HF/UHF/VHF, as will the Icom 7000 or 7100. The 857, 480, 7000, and 7100 also give you the option of putting the main unit under the seat or in the trunk, and keeping the control unit within arms reach. Lots of options out there, and ultimately you have to decide what you're really wanting to do. If you can give us more input, we're all happy to help you spend your money in the best way possible.
73,
Brett