We've got the advice you seek on the ATV Connection homepage, here:

https://atvconnection.com/articles/a...to-have-a-4x4/

 

you can always run 2wd on a 4wd machine but you can never go the other way around. Personally i would buy a good can am 4wd then you are set for all terrain.. Usually can am holds their value and you can always resell it without loosing to much depending on how long you keep it.. May be beneficial for you to go rent one for a few days and see how you like it

 

The big advantage to 4wd over 2wd is that you usually have a low range and can crawl over rocky areas rather than having to get up speed and momentum. Going fast over good sized rocks can ruin your machine and you. Like Zrock said, if you can rent a quad for a day you can see if you'll like just having 2wd or if you think you'll need 4wd. Maybe try out a friend's quad if you know anyone.

 

That looks like an excellent desert machine. LOL

 

That's a desert ATV for sure.

"I’m old but a starter." I'm old, on the bad side of middle aged anyway, and I have arthritis in every vertebra from head to tail. If you have a bad back too, I'm sure you'll appreciate an independent rear suspension, which is mainly used on 4wd ATVs. It makes for a smoother ride. If you could rent an ATV with IRS and one without, you could see how you like it. You may never need 4wd but as Zrock said, you can always run 2wd on a 4wd machine but you can never go the other way around. And as Moose pointed out you can put a 4x4 in low range and crawl over rocky areas. That's usually better gritting your teeth, building up your speed, and making a run at it. But that's just my opinion. If you get a manual shift you don't have to worry about low range but most are sport ATVs which aren't your best choice IMO. Talking to other riders in the area would be your best option. If you ask them if you need 4wd and they burst out laughing,that would be a good sign that 2wd would work for you.

 

Irs gives you more ground clearance too. Not many options anymore for a manual shift 4x4 atv, Honda is pretty much it for the last few years. If you pick an older unit, Yamaha, Suzuki and Arctic Cat all had manual shift 4x4 atvs. If you have well known trails in the area, I'm sure you can find riding videos on youtube so you can see what you might experience if you were actually riding there.

 

When I had my Trailblazer I was hitting stuff that my Sportsman sailed right over because of the difference in ground clearance. The Trailblazer had smaller tires, but even if it had the same size tires the sprocket and brake would still be hanging lower than the rear of my Sportsman.

 

First quad I bought was a Kawasaki Lakota 300. Sport quad with racks. With the sprocket protector on that thing maybe had 4-5" of clearance. Seat felt like a brick, very easy to get stuck in mud, and useless in the snow. Going over big rocks wasn't fun either. We got tired of pulling it out of stuck situations and all have 4wd now. New England riding means, deep water and mud holes, deep snow, ruts, rocks, roots, and a little sand thrown in. Everyone I know of eventually ends up with 4wd.