I would think so too. Been around both and I was more impressed with the Trailblazer. Just haven't had a chance to ride them.

 

Amazing how we get so many guys coming out of the woodwork to help this poor girl, but few if any will take the time to help some guy.. You must be working some sort of spell missy... But Old Dragginbutt is going to be different.. I am going to treat you as an equal here.. so apologies if I sound a bit gruff...

First, You say you are light weight, and a little one...so weight is a definate issue when choosing a machine.
I don't know what sort of riding you intend to be doing... Trails, backyards, flat fields, rocks, woods etc.. All play into this decision.. so make an honest effort to determine that.

Depending on the severety of the trails etc, 4x4 capability may be a neccessity. But I'll be the first one to tell you that if you do choose to get a 4x4 quad, you need to look at getting one that gives you the ability to choose between 2 and 4 wheel drive at the flick of a button... If you have to manhandle a 4x4 all day, you will thank me for telling you this bit of information. Unless of course you like the Popeye forearm look...

You seem to be zeroing in on the small bore machines, which is OK. But after spending your hard earned cash, you might in time feel that you need more of a challenge... so you decide if you want to start small, and then upgrade... or go slightly bigger now, and only have to spend the money once .

Personally, for my wife, I have chosen the Honda Rancher AT. It is fully automatic, and has a lower center of gravity. Very important for a petite rider. It can go from 2 to 4 wheel drive with the touch of a button, has disc brakes, and an true car style auto transmission. It even gives you the ability to manually shift the gears with the electronic shift... but once you use it in full auto, nothing else seems the same...

If you find yourself wanting something sporty... I really like the Raptor 350... which is a warmed over Warrior. Bulletproof. Looks good, and gives you reverse and electric start... plus you get to manually shift gears and use a clutch if that is your bag...

Lastly I can't over emphasize establishing a relationship with your dealer... Which means find someone you trust. Then look at machines.

So there you go little lady... I hope this helps, and that you have made your decision... Just get out there and ride...

 

the one issue you may have with the trailblazer is weight. even though its only a 250, its still a brick compared to the rest of the ATV's in its class. id recommend going with the recon 250. its a blast to ride, tough as a rock, and will still go a ton of places.

 

My dad has an Arctic Cat 250 that will carry both me and my wife (around 330lbs combined) through some pretty decent mud. You can probably get one for around $3300. But for an extra thousand you can probably find an '04 Rancher 4X4.

 

Just wanted to let you guys know that I went with an '04 Trailblazer 250. It was the perfect choice in my humble opinion. I know I am not on the caliber of ATV knowledge that you guys are, but I think that I made a good choice. I went riding for the first time this past Saturday, and I had more fun than I can ever remember having! I got stuck in the mud my fair share of times, but all in all I kept up with the big dogs pretty well. I went riding with my fiance (johnnyz71) and his buddies (about 9 of us in total) and we just had a blast. It was a little cold and wet, but we still had a great time. I think that the TB 250 is the perfect starter machine for me to learn how to manuever the trails and learn to control my speeds. It wasn't too big that I couldn't handle it, but it wasn't too small that I got left behind. (on the contrary the guys I went riding with were impressed by my ability to ride!) So, just wanted to thank you guys for your much appreciated input. I think next year I'll step up to a 4x4 with more power, but this year I think I'll be just fine.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Just remember I predicted it here first.. sounds like we have another convert... Welcome to the club... The Utility machines have out sold sport models by a whopping 5 to 1 for some time now...and for good reason. Once a person wets their appetite, eventually they like to ride more challenging terrain. I will say this though, that in most cases, a good rider on a sport machine can pretty much go anywhere a Ute can go.. up until the 4x4 is needed... Once a person becomes comfortable with the bulk of a Ute, they find it harder and harder to go back to a Sport model for anything other than pure speed runs.. They are just so darned comfortable, and handy...

I wish you good luck.. and hope to see you on the trails...
Dragginbutt

 

All about matching the machine to the terrain.

 

MY wife rides a 400 Scramler 2stroke and loves the smell.Maybe she aint right but she like the smell of Harley 60wt too[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I have had 2 UTES and got ride of them for the more nimble Scramblers.But my 500 is a 4x4 and goes anywhere the utes go.

 

Good choice on the TB, my wife just got her first quad and got an 05 trail blazer 250, for the price, you get a bigger faster quad that is easy to maintain and ride then any other offerings in that price range and class. I have rode it around and its got alot more then I thought it would. It is also has alot more pep then the more expensive trail boss and looks better.