I have used Adobe Lightroom since it launched and it has consistently improved. I can now get my images to about 90% perfection while in Lightroom and then only need to do a few things in Photoshop. It is very powerful and you won’t be disappointed in how it works with your RAW images.
Also, if you have access to education discounts (as a teacher or student, or know someone who is) then you can get it for less than $100. Check out Academic Superstore.
Let me know if you have any other questions!