New enduro bike decision.

I'm 16 so I feel you with the money saving! But I would look into yt industry. They have some killer builds for a pretty good price

Here are two in-depth reviews that might help your decision, with a relevant excerpt quoted from each.

Nomad - http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Santa-Cruz/Carbon-Nomad-2…

"At slower speeds or while you're not fully on the gas the ride can be a bit boring. Why? Because the Nomad is so capable you don't have to pick super precise lines or worry about the little stuff in your path. The trail can disappear beneath you, but that's the trade off for all the stability it offers. Sometimes we like the nature of picking lines, the challenge of keeping our feet on the pedals, or the excitement of finally nailing a tricky section we've had fits with before - the Nomad makes all of these things almost too easy. If you don't want to feel the rough stuff, then by all means bring this gun to the fight.

It responds well and does what it's told, but we wouldn't call it nimble or playful in the tradition sense. It will change lines, but be ready to muscle the bike around a bit due to its length and suspension feel. Then again, if your definition of play is to pull up hard and gap massive sections of the trail, then sure, it's "playful." It's also easy to get over the back of the bike and feel ready for anything that requires a quick front end lift."
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Strive - http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Canyon/Strive-CF-9-0-Race…

"Pointed downhill the Strive gets on with business. It tracks very well, whether in loose baby heads, loose turns or high speed straightaways. The shorter rear end and reasonably tall stack height make it easy to lift the front end while also allowing for some comfort in steeper terrain. All of the above also helped make the bike agile when direction changes were required, whether at speed or not.

The suspension feel on the Canyon is controlled and planted, riding higher in its travel than some bikes tested when set to the suggested 30% seated sag. While the bike is capable of pointing through a line, it is up to the rider to be on their game to pull through any situations that may result in being a little out of control. This is a race bike through and through and has been developed as such. Take control and it is a weapon, but get lazy or make a big mistake and you will have to pull out of it or face the consequences. Run at 35% sag the bike was more forgiving and allowed a more point-and-shoot approach, yet still rode exceptionally well."
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The Yeti is similar to the Nomad in many ways. It's a big bike, capable of charging through the roughest bits with the best of them. The leverage ratio is a bit linear too, so you sit into the travel a bit giving it a less lively, but very plowable feel.
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The shorter chainstays, slightly steeper head angle, and more progressive nature of the suspension on the Canyon should all add up to a more "playful" ride. From what I've experienced in Rotorua it'd still be plenty of bike, and having that Shape Shifter tech could be great for the road climbs too. You may also save a few bucks over your other options.

Good luck with your decision!

I was reading and the frame cracks were only first gen but good luck in your decision!

I've just got myself a Capra CF 1, and it just kicks ass. It would suit your 'flicky' riding style as its not overly long in the cockpit like some bikes but is still long enough to be super fast, and the suspension and ride quality are superb. Also, I think you'd have a hard time trying to get a Canyon as they don't ship to NZ nor have an importer, the Nomad was rated by Pinkbike as being awesome and at least equal to the Capra but for double the price, and if you're worried about cracks don't get a Yeti

I have been riding my Giant Reign 1 for around a month and I must say this bike is awesome. Giant make good bike and have very little issues and pretty much all the tests were positive...
Its a great bike for pedalling up and a beast when riding down..its really a flink bike(despite ist Long wheelbase) but I think the best way to go is to set a Budget and try and testride the bikes before you buy.
Alot of the latest Enduro bikes have similar characteristics(Head Angle, Suspension etc)...ist still wise to test ride the bikes first.
My tip: Narrow your search down to 2-4 bikes and find out whicj one suits your riding style most..

I would question whether you really need an enduro race bike?
If you mainly trail ride and enjoy a nimble bike, perhaps something with 150mm travel rather than 165. They will be ligther for your weenerish 15 year old body to manuever too (generally speaking).
I somehow manage to race enduro on a 26inch wheel non carbon trail bike and I don't finish last (well at least not all the time). I see alot of people having a tough time in whistler on trails that are straight dh based on their enduro race bike

I've been on a stock reign 2 for a few weeks now. The handlebar height is extremely low so it didn't ride as well as I liked once I first got it, but about 3cm of spacers and a 20mm rise bar transformed the bike and now its unreal. Normally I would never even bother riding a stock bike because theres so many things you've got to change out to make it comfortable but at $2850 Ive never been happier with a stock build!

That said, I found a wicked deal on a Commencal Meta am V4 frame that will be arriving thursday. Read so many reviews of the reign being everything but playful and the commencal being extremely playful/fun which made me bite the bullet to see what the difference was like! Personally I thought the reign was quite lively considering how plush/mini dh bike the suspension was once I had found the proper height for the front end but I'm going to test the commencal and sell one of the frames in october after I get a feel for both bikes.

Not sure how these compare to a carbon nomad or SB6C as these two bikes are probably some of the highest level enduro style bikes you could buy, but a reign/meta or maybe even a transition patrol would leave thousands in your pocket

I have a new 2015 CAPRA AL. I would say one of the better bikes and saves you a large chunk of cash. Only downside is the wait time, but it was well worth it. Check them out and Aluminum doesn't crack :D

No, aluminum just dents.

I ordered mine in March and got it mid of April, but I also was in the first shipment of Capras. Nowadays if you order I think its about a 2 month wait? Maybe more. Check out their website! www.yt-industries.com

I ordered mine May and it arrived mid-July, totally worth the wait though! It's fast, but I've only ever ridden one bike that inspires you to ride stupid lines that aren't actual lines (like gapping rocks and hucking make shift drops), being the Trek Slash 9.8, but good luck getting one of them at any reasonable price new! The Capra rides equally as well and is much cheaper and easier to get.