trekker pete

In the market for a 29er. There is a used felt nine sport in my size for sale. The seller has offered to go as low as 500 dollars. This is getting into decent new entry level 9er HT terrritory, especially this time of year when the shops are looking to clear out '13 stock.

The nine sport is a notch or two up from entry level, but, it is a few years old. Is it worth the step or two up in lew of that new bike smell and more importantly, warranty.

I am a newb, so I guess even something like a new Marlin would suit me just fine for quite awhile. The biggest difference I see is fork (rockshox dart 3 vs suntour xcm) and hydro vs mech brakes.

Any input would be appreciated.