Personally, I don't like how cubes ride, and I don't like 29ers either
If it was my ££ (and I wanted 29ers) I'd be looking at the Lapierre Raid or the Cannondale Trail 29er.
The problem is though, Suntour have the budget market sewn up with their horrible cheap suspension fork.
It used to be that you could get something half reasonable from rockshox or manitou on the sub £600 bikes.