Sorry if this seems a bit personal but how old are you generally? Because if you're over 40, I would recommend looking at strictly XC bikes instead of aggressive AX/All mountain bikes.
Some examples are the Kona Kikapu Deluxe/King Kikapu, or the Kula or Kula Deluxe
The specialized StumpJUmper FSR series, not sure of specific model MSRP pricing though.
ALso, those Trek Fuels are the kind of bike you could be looking at.
Hope those are good suggestions!
EDIT: damnit, didn't read last 2 lines of post as I went searching for bikes
I don't want to delete the above because I spent 4 minutes looking that stuff up.
So disregard! I really like the Cannondale bikes you've selected there. Nothing wrong with them I don't think, if only slightly over priced for what you get.