My LBS dropped Raleigh because he couldn't get them to respond to warranty replacement of cracked frames and couldn't get things like rear derailleur hangers. My wife and I had M600's. Good bikes. Hoever, it took six months to get a hanger. I even called them and got a run-around. Luckily, I had a spare so I could still ride.
For a thousand, I'd go with a good hard tail with a cane creek suspension seat post if you ride much at all. Off-road riding is just hard on bikes. IMO you need sealed ball/rollar bearings at all suspension pivits (except the shock pivots) instead of bushings. A decent front fork is necessary or it won't last long.
My Specialized Stumpjumper listed for $1600 and I had to replace the fork in six months. It soon wobbled too much and got slightly bent. All I do is XC and I don't do jumps. However, I do up to 24 miles on single track when I ride and I ride often and year-round.
My ride/handling improved greatly with the new fork; a Fox. Discounted, it cost half of that thousand.
Al