Kona: I have ridden mountain bikes since '95, and my first real bike was a Kona Cinder Cone.
Scott: I've had all different brands over the years and recently bought a SCOTT. The Quality and the components you get way exceed a lot of these in this list.
Yeti: This list is based on votes.. most widespread appeal based on price, accessibility, popularity etc: not Yeti. Best premium hand built mountain bikes made: Yeti all day long.
Pivot: Pivot's always on the tech forefront. Wonderfully engineered bikes with few compromises. And the company's run by a founder who rides and knows his stuff.