Wife needs a quad. shes actually has fun with the kids 90, so she doesnt need anything big or powerful. Is the 250 OK, or should I spring for the extra 5 or 6 hundred for the 350. I dont really think she needs 4WD
Thanks

 

I would go with the 350. It is more poweful than the 250 ofcourse, but it is more than capable of smooth power and it's not going to do anything to feel as if it's going to get away from her.
Besides that, the 350 is an automatic and would be far more easy to sell if you were to upgrade again later on.
It's also a machine that she could advance into more than the 250.
The Bruin 250 is no power house at all either. You figure weight differences into play, it is realistically not much more powerful than the 90 she has been riding other than it will have a higher topspeed.

For only a $600.00 difference, you get more power, automatic tranny, and a machine that would keep a larger percentage of it's value at resale time.
BUT the question is whether you want a little more and not justify the sake of your wife. I've been there and I know it's a tough call. Good luck.
By the way, I see you have became a member recently. Welcome to the forums!

 

Here is another vote for the 350. My girlfriend drives her 04 Bruin around in 2wd 99% of the time when we go out riding but then again, she doesn't go through the places where 4wd is needed.
Splurge the extra money, you and her won't be disapointed.

 

My wife has the 250 because she opted to shift over the auto. The 350 has more ground clearance and larger tires. I agree with the other guys that the 350 will leave more room to grow then the 250 would. But since she has fun on the 90 I'm sure she will have a blast on either.

 

Thanks for the answers and the welcome. I've found great info here already. I'm going to see how my wife makes out trying to learn the clutch on my warrior. If it seems a lost cause, I think we'll go automatic.
Also, this would be my first new quad purchase and I have a couple of questions. Do dealers take trade ins? Also, do you haggle like at a car dealer? I saw prices on the quads when I was buying parts for my warrior and they were already well below list (MSRP).
Thx

 

the 250 bruin does not have a 'brake' lever clutch. It is just kick up kick down, you dont need to engange any clutch to shift.

 

west350bruin is right. It has no clutch you operate manually.

Also, regarding the haggling..... If the untis are listed at regular MSRP,..There is about a $750 mark up on a Bruin 250. It's about a $900 for the 350
The dealer of course will not tell you those numbers,...and most dealers will refuse to sell an ATV without making at least $500.00 in the sale....even if it means getting it from you through the sale of an extended warranty or other accessories you buy from him to add to it.
So those are the numbers you will be playing with regarding about 90% of your dealers out there.

Some dealers charge freight and setup while some dont.
These costs will generally add from $200 to $300 to your purchase price....and then sales tax if applicable in your state.

 

I agree with everyone else on spending the extra $500-600 and getting the 350. My wife has an '05 Bruin 350 2x4 and she loves it. My wife would use 4x4 1% of the time as well. It is a great quad for the money and very easy for her to ride and handle. The automatic tranny is a must for the wife. She doesn't like shifting on steep inclines or ruff stuff. It has almost the same rack and towing capacity as my Brute Force 750! It's also a bigger chassis and can easily accomodate a large rider or even two riders. My buddies have used it on trips and it keeps up just fine on the trails with the big boys. I haven't had a single problem with it in the 18 months I've had it. You can get a new '06 350 2x4 in my area for right around $3700 out the door.

Hope this helps.....

 

Well, my wife and I have a 04 Beartracker 250 and a 05 Bruin 350 Auto 2x4, both in like new, broke in condition. She likes the Beartracker better and I like the Bruin 350 better. I think the Beartracker will take the Bruin in a drag race, although she won't race me to find out. The Bruin rides slightly smoother over rough ground. The only major performance difference is that the Bruin corners much better in a fast corner. The Beartracker feels like it might tip on a corner the Bruin will just zip around. On the other hand, the Beartracker feels much more nimble, fun to ride around on, and to us sets more comfortable.

The major things we don't like about the Beartracker is that the reverse shifter and the choke are under the tank on the motor and are hard to use, and the Bruins floorboards keep the mud off your feet, the pegs of the Beartracker don't, none of which is a issue with the newer Bruin 250 that replaced the Beartracker. Speed wise their a toss-up. She used to like to drive little sports cars, so shifting the transmission doesn't bother her.

We do NOT ride these in any serious mud or very bad trails, so take this compairison for what its worth.