It's a little late in the game but here's two other recommendations for DVD-ripping (in addition to meGUI, which I've also used to good effect):
AutoGK Homepage - THE tool for XviD / DivX conversion
If you're not concerned with controlling every single aspect of your rip but still want to cover the basics with good quality results.
FairUse Wizard - Easy DVD to iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, AppleTV, Zune, Xbox 360, PS3, Standalone DivX Player, TiVO HD. Encode with DivX, XviD, H.264, VP7 and ffVFW codecs!
Actually working with the interface isn't the most intuitive but this one does allow good visualization of how your rip will turn out and this works well with subtitles.
Jam it back in, in the dark.