I live in the country, off a dirt road. Concerned about access, initially I bought a 4WD SUV but found that never had to switch it to full power. So, five years ago I replaced it with a similar 2WD SUV. It works fine, even when fording swollen streams.
The main thing is to get a car with good ground clearance - in Argentina is called "despeje". The four-wheel drive option is for those go choose to go off-roading.
Best of luck with your trip - sounds like an great plan!