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7tevoffun $1000 won't even get you the $1000 bike these guys are imagining any more. I agree with them that's a preferable bike, but it's hard to find. SRAM Eagle and dropper seat posts this year didn't help the price tag.
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prj71 is right about the features of the GT but that level bike is pretty much the same across the board and doesn't change much year to year, it's really about the same as a Specialized I bought back in 2002 except for the wheel size. It's not a bad bike and it does have a role in the market. This will give you indefinite years of service on the street with your kids, has mounts for all the normal racks and kid seats and fenders, and has parts that have been made to the same standards for 25 years. If you put it up to daily commuting or fast trail riding it's going to wear and if you compare it to the "$1000" bike with better trail geometry, air+oil fork, hydraulic disc brakes and better shifting, it will seem primitive indeed.
You might not like Trek but that Marlin 5 is a good simulation of a more expensive bike. It has the newer geometry with the cheaper components. I'll bet other brands have one like it. REI's house brand is called Co-Op Cycles (it used to be Novara but they changed the decals and all the paint to camo/poop shades). They usually hit a pretty sweet price point that's above Walmart junk but also nothing really premium. The prices don't look amazing at first glance unless you consider the rebate or catch a sale.