You can't lose with a good strat. Consider a used MIA Strat....

one important piece of advise I can give is take your time.
pick several models visually and write them down. then list the things you like and the things you don't like about each one. it sounds boring but it is very helpful.

to me the most important differences are
1. type of bridge
2. neck profile.

pickups can be compensated for but if you don't like the neck there isn't much you can do.
everything else is mostly cosmetic.

the bridges are very important to me, I prefer the 6 hole trem because i am heavy handed and this design is not as sensitive when floating.

the 2 point is much more responsive and returns to pitch much better ( but a properly set up 6 hole can do just as well )

a hardtail is, well a hardtail not much to go wrong with there.

and the floyd is a whole other animal

as far as neck profile, the american standards/ specials/ and highway ones are about the same and to me they are to thin. unfortunately for me the neck I like the most is in a higher price range but if your SG has the 60's profile you may not think this.
I cannot recall how the neck profiles are on the Mexican models, I am sure they are about the same though.

what style of music do you intend to play the most?

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The MIM strats are very nice guitars for their price point. and a used but loved one can be had fairly cheaply on craigslist. I normally preach " Buy American" but in your case a used Mexican model may be what you need. if you buy used you can resell it for almost the same investment if you decide to upgrade later on. and being new to strats that would be a wise choice. the best thing you can do is pick up and play as many as you possibly can and hit craigslist.

just remember most of the "Upgrades/mods" you do, do not increase the value. its usually better to upgrade the whole guitar until you know exactly what you want.

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Most important factor to consider in my opinion is nut width. Fender offers Stratocaster in two different nut width's. 1.650" and 1.6875". I have large hands and fingers and a 1.650" neck is no good for me. Try some with both nut widths and see if you have a preference and go from there.

its a good point. but .0375 inches isn't something a new player is going to notice very much. thats less than 1mm

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The difference in nut width is very noticable to me. Like I said though I'm rather large.
6'4" and 250 pounds. I wish the narrower width was comfortable for me because I would have a much wider choice of guitars.

My darling wife bought me a MIM Strat for Christmas last year. I'm very happy with it, the fit, finish and tone are pure Fender. Is it as good as an American Standard? No. Is it a great back-up when you progress to a better guitar? Most definitely.

I'm a bass player at heart, for me, the MIM is fine. For a pure guitarist, a better guitar may be the way to go.

My advice would be to play as many of the guitars you're interested in before you make any decision.

My grand daughter thinks it's o.k. too.

I think the Stratocaster is perfect for someone who not only wants to learn to play guitar, but also for someone who wants to keep evolving. It's a fairly easy to play guitar, without being far too easy so that you will not be able to adjust to other guitars. Go for it!

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2010 Gibson Les Paul Studio (Silverburst)
2007 Fender CD-60 (Sunburst)
G.A.S-ing for a Fender Stratocaster HSS with floyd rose

Here is what you do -

Pick up a MIM Strat, along with it have an extra $300 to have the PUPs changed to the FENDER CS 69's,54's or Fat 50's. Have the Pups immediately installed and providing you know what to look for quality wise when picking out the guitar….you will have a Start for life that rivals any MIA Strat.

Defiantly not bad mouthing MIA's, but old school guys still have that inflated opinion that MIA is always better. My main baby Strat was $800, I installed CS-69's, for the last 13 yrs it has been my number one and feels better than any MIA I have ever picked up, and sounds just as good. I also have a second MIM Strat still with stock, next tax season 54's will be installed and the I will have two MIMs that are just as good if not better than a expensive MIA.

I always encourage newbie's to pick a Maple neck, to me Maple just feels more organic, more natural, then move to Rosewood, but that’s all personal preference.

I just picked my son up a Black Top Strat, again, craftsmanship is beautiful however it has buckers in it, if your looking for pure authentic Tone get a Standard MIM, change the pups. You can still easily get the tones with the black tops just not spot on. His is that Lighter Blue……..i keeping looking out the corner of my eye at it lol…………hey son….how about you mess around with my SG and I take that cheap Black top off your hands for a bit huh?

Just so there's no misunderstanding later, her first instrument is my Fender FSR Precision, with SPB-3's installed.

Congrats on your new guitar, be sure to post some pics!

When the mood strikes, she likes my Jazz too!