It's a matter of what type of riding you're goingto do.
Yes, the 93 CR250 can be a good woods mount. While it won’t feel like it has the grunt of a KDX200 and doesn’t have the low first gear that most woods bikes do, it can be very effective. It won’t have the forgiving, “lazy bike” feel that a lot of trail bikes have but it will be capable of a lot more without putting you on your head.
The biggest change I made on mine, and is probably out of the realm of feasibility for most people, was to graft the front end off an 89 KX500 onto it. These were the last year conventional forks on that model and are similar to the ones on the new XR650. It transformed the front end from a nervous, darting, spooky handful to feeling like the bike was on rails. A good suspension tuner may be able to do a lot with the stock front forks, though.
Other mods: 15 oz FWW, Gnarly or Dyno Port torque pipe, steel clutch plates. Eric Gorr can port it to take the big hit out and make the power much more linear, like the 95 and 96 models. I ran Honda HP2 oil with 93 octane mixed at 32:1 and NEVER fouled plugs. The bike was always rock reliable.
I would assess my riding ability and where I would be riding. If you’re more on the novice end, not competing or ride a lot of tight, nasty stuff, the KDX would be a better choice, IMO. I’ve owned both and both are great bikes and very reliable. You wouldn’t go wrong with either one.
All that said, for my type of riding, if I had to do it again, I’d buy the KDX and live happily ever after. The shorter wheelbase lets it turn tighter, the good low end without a massive hit make it easier to ride and it won’t tire you out as quickly from fighting it.
Jeff Fredette has shown what they’re capable of as your riding ability improves.
If it was more open terrain, higher speed and not as technical, I’d get a CR. It has lots more HP and is much quicker in a straight line.
Which one suits you best?
Hope it helps.