My first full sus was a Diamondback, back in the early 90s. The Mission continues the legacy, but is far more rugged, plush, and just plain fun. The Fox components seamlessly mesh with the frame and the drive train for totally predictable power and control. The beefy head set and crank/bracket give you stiff response to your every input. Brake and shifters are clean and linear. I've had five Trek EX models in the last decade, and love them all. Still riding an EX8 with all Fox suspension. But the Mission is more plush, and can handle intensely technical rocks and moguls in the deep Maine woods better. Yes, it' heavy, and you'd like it to weigh 3 to 5 pounds less, but over time you can swap out components to get the weight savings. The WTB tires are fantastic in the NE wet and goop, but you can save a pound or so by swapping out for Fire XC Pros.
Five stars for value, performance, and plush rideability.

I recall the days of DiamondBack being the bike to get when I was a kid. Since then I was under the impression DB has only made cheap bikes for department stores. After finding the Mission series I realized DB has finally returned to making good bikes . This bike is tough and significantly faster than the 29er I've been riding. The trails around Houston are generally flat which doesn't make full use of the six inches of travel, but after riding a friend's Trek Remedy 8, I had to have something similar. The Diamond Back fits the bill. It has no issues climbing the hills we have here, and when there's a downhill this thing is a blast. It's made everything that was too technical previously feel like child's play.

For anyone who buys this take note, the bike feels heavy, even for a competitive AM bike. Change out the tires and wheels and you'll shed some pounds. The prowler 2.5 and the Stout 2.3 are too much tire for the kind of riding I do, so I've swapped them to Panaracer Fire and saved about 1.5 pounds. The crankset isn't anything special but it's tough. I've since changed it out to an SLX and saved almost a pound. Lighten up a few other components and this bike can be sub 30lbs easy. Any weight lost makes this bike feel a ton faster. Amazing bike, great price. Highly recommended.