I've been backpacking for a lot of years (before I got in to biking by quite a while) and started with a cheap A frame kids tent and tarp as an extra fly on top. For one person it worked, but was pretty small and didn't seal well (bugs or breeze). When I went on the hunt for a "good" tent I considered a lot of things. If you look at tent ratings you'll likely find the "seasons" they are rated to. A 3 season tent vs a 4 season tent basically comes down to how much mesh there is on the inside part of the tent (the actual "tent" - under the fly). A 4 season tent doesn't have much mesh, aside from some vents/windows maybe. A 3 season tent will have a large portion of mesh, or entirely mesh.
Not saying this is the OP's environment, but if you will camp in cooler weather only having mesh on the inside of your tent, I think, is a big drawback. Having solid fabric adds a great extra layer of keeping warm - and keeping the breeze out.
I haven't been in the tent market for quite a long time (I actually switched to a hammock several years back) so I am not sure what the current market offerings are. However, the tent I got was a Mountain Hardwear Hammerhead 2. It has a LOT of mesh - but it has the added ability to zip in full fabric panels over all of the mesh, not just some of it. The tent has been awesome.
Last thoughts - if you are a normal size person and you intend on sharing your tent with another normal size person - get a 3 person tent, not a 2 person. Trust me on this one... If you cram 2 normal size people in my "2 person" tent you end up sleeping on top of each other - been there, done that, and got out of the tent and slept on the dirt by the fire pit that night. For 1 person with elbow room a 2 person is good.
I know weight always comes up and zip-in paneling covering up mesh and a 3 person tent over a 2 person "adds weight" - it does. I'm on the side of the fence of wanting to have more comfort in my gear - and options. As always, your mileage may vary.