ALL of these bikes are capable of serving well for green and blue runs. The norco fluid will struggle on black runs. The E160 starts to get lively on double black diamond but still gets through - go for the 9000 if you intend to ride anything harder. I haven't ridden the latest trance, but generally speaking trances are fine up to black, but if you regularly ride double black the range makes more sense. The trek is a very nice bike....you pay extra initially but after a couple of years they make a lot of sense. If you intend to ride native forrest rather than mtb trails, take a good long look at the trek - they cope with surprises really well.
merida e160 - playful, so if you enjoy tossing the bike around off jumps, reasonably quick yet stable steering, reasonably light - great bikes. The shimano is quiet, great low down torque, but not quiet as much high cadence support as others and this can make you lazy / use more power - you have to consciously spin to save power because it feels best around 60-70 cadence
9000 - very high spec level, you'd never need to upgrade anything
8000- high spec level, you are unlikely to need to upgrade anything ,
Trance x advanced - I haven't ridden one, sorry, but I've ridden every trance until 2021 and I still own a 2018 full e pro ( with 2020 pwx2 motor) . The yamaha motor is a bit more intrusive that the shimano ep8 - more noise, more over run, and you can feel the assistance rather than just feel like your legs are strong. It's a perfectly good motor, but if I hop from yamaha to shimano ep8 , the ep8 is nicer. The yamaha does reward higher cadence, though, so gets better range if you are willing to spin.. Giant fit higher components than others at comparable price, but in my experience you pay for it later with things like bearings not lasting as long , and a crappy dropper post - a one off frustration that is easily fixed by using better quality replacements. Factor in potentially $400 worth of parts over the first 12 months. My giant dealer is a legend, and if their bikes weren't so bloody heavy I'd still be riding giant. BUT - they are barges to ride. Long chainstays , long wheelbases, maestro rear pedals well but is a bit like riding a sponge, and heavy. Stable, but NOT playful - I find myself riding through trails rather than zipping around like a manic teenager.....Did I mention how much I love my levo sl ??
e+0 - very high level of spec, nothing to replace but do you really want to trust the fox / giant IT geeks with your suspension ( DO NOT BUY this year, give them another year to sort the bugs in that electric suspension)
e+2 - probably good enough spec for most people, and you can always upgrade that rear shock if it bothers you .
Norco fluid - the budget buy. If you are looking at norco fluid rather than sight, I'd argue the 900 wh battery is an over investment? But that's the magic of norco - if range means more to you than quality of ride you can spend $ on a bigger battery instead of better suspension. Or if you just want to play for a few hours then you can opt for a better bike with smaller battery. I personally think range extenders make more sense....ride a lighter bike most of the time but have the option of 1/2 range extenders for big trips. What concerns me with norco is they have corporate adhd , every year they significantly change direction. The 2019 sight 27.5 was a spectacular, light, playfull toy. In 2020 they went the opposite direction with the sight 29 barge. For 2022 we get this variable battery tech in what seems like a middle of the road geometry package - what does this do to resale / parts availability etc? But I like norco as a brand - they seem to bridge the gap between enthusiastic boutique mtb riders and big brand economics. Budget santa cruz? My last regular bike was a 2017 norco optic , it's served well across 2 teenage kids , and is currently being abused by my 13 yo son . I slipped the fox 34 x 150's off my levo sl into it as he started reaching the limits of 130 mm forks....hopefully he will get another years use. No 130 mm trailbike should be able to tackle double black AND pedal efficiently, but it does
