What Bike Should I Get!!!!!!

Imho

Go with Honda for reliability and quality next try to find a nice 01 CR250 as this was the best year until the 05 IMHO.
I liked the 97-99s as well but the suspension was rather stiff.

I'd look for a newer YZ250 or CR250.

I'd buy any bike that fits your price range, the bikes really aren't a TON different between the KX, YZ, RM, and CRs. They are different, but everyone tunes thier bikes different. Look what is out there in your area, and what mods, the condition of the bike and go and ride it. You might beable to find a 1996 KX250 that actually rides better than a 01 YZ250 based on how it is tuned, your riding style, how many hours are on the bike, etc, etc.....(Stock for stock the YZ would be better, but buying a used bike is different than buying stock).

Good luck.

With the hype over 4-strokes running wild, used deals for 2-strokes are better than ever. And regardless if the value of the 2-strokes are dropping, the bikes themselves are better than ever in recent years. The YZs and CRs from around 2001 to 2003 are great bargains right now and very solid bikes. I hear a lot of people complain about constant fouling with the RMs and you rarely hear anyone talking much about KXs from that time frame. You get way more bang/buck with a 2-3 year old 2-stroke than a $7000 4-poke from the dealer!