while I agree the bikes and the forum apeal to the folks that are on a discount budget, no one has shared an experience of long term use.
SRAM and Shimano make junk , just like Falcon stuff, and depend on "name brand" shoppers.
Ive owned junk bikes and Ive owned top end bikes. the sticker( not intended for off road use) that comes on most dept. store bikes is on there for a reason and needs to be adhered to
I got a Mongoose bike from Walmart once. it has Shimano Acera shifters and der.s,WTB headset, seat and wheels, Kenda tires,Rockshox rear shock, RST fork, Tektro 8" disc brakes for $139( marked down from $700).
good deal right? it weighed over 50# and the suspension was trashed in under a year. I said WTB wheels but it did NOT have WTB hubs. trashed wheels in under a year. seatpost broken in under a year, seatpost collar stripped in a couple of months. tires gripped like an ice cube on formica.
I ended up taking most of the components from an older Diamondback that had a broken frame and replacing them. if not for the shed full of parts, it would have been expensive to keep this bike on the trails.thats why I got it though was I wanted an indestructable frame and I still have the frame, shifters, der.s,crankset and disc brakes, though nothing else is useable except for recycling..
the parts I did end up replacing with new( the wheels, seatpost,seat,chain,collar,tires,middle chain ring,cassette) have transfered nicely to the shed walls since getting my Devinci Guzzler and I do have a bunch of spare parts if needed
I am not saying dont get it, just be careful. name brand stuff does not mean quality and durability.
you can get a GOOD full suspension bike for under $1000 that will last for years , if properly cleaned and lubed, that is worth upgrading components on as you can afford. Ironhorse makes some,Specialized makes some, Mongoose(the bike shop version)does as well along with Jamis. this is brand new stuff too, not used Ebay bikes.
check out Mtbr for the components on the bikes you are looking at, they will be a more unbiased guide to buying a bike.
we , for the most part, are saying stay away from Jeeps and all dept. store bikes from hindsight so you wont end up on the losing end of an investment like so many of us did.