With bikes, it is truly one of those things where you get your monies worth out of them. It just depends on what you are wanting to do with it. You can spend $700.00 on a bike like I bought my daughter. You can ride any trail out there and have a blast. The components are entry level. They may wear out sooner than the higher levels. They do what they are suppose to do. The difference in quality and performance goes with the cost. The XT level (Shimano) or X1 or GX level (Sram) components are going to shift much better than the entry level components. They are going to be a bit stronger and lighter. The suspension on the entry level does its job. But the Rockshock's Pike Ultimate or Fox 34 is going to work so much better than the SR Suntour fork which has basically no adjustment. Same goes for the wheelsets. The entry level wheels roll just fine, But they are not going to perform like an Industry 9 Enduro S with Hydra hubs. Boils down to what you want to do. Ride around the neighborhood and light trails, The entry level is the best bang for the buck. You are riding 20-40 miles a week on trails, your gonna want to step up some.....