I bought Carrera and then have never used it. If you want to get into 3D deeper to a professional level, I'd say that Lightwave 9.5 is the cheapest way in for something that works with Vue XStream and has full modeling capabilities. Expect to spend lots of hours learning. The new render engine mixed with the new fibers has put Lightwave back into the game I think. Combined with Vue7 XStream it would be a killer combo.

If your rich enough, Maya.

If you just want to do your own models Silo is a cheap option and there are some very good free ones.

If your into the art end of things and not into animation at all, look at ZBrush. To see it in its glory go to ZBrushCentral.com. The best 3D artists in the world are there and the gallery is worth the trip.

Now that I've added to the confusion, my job is done.