I would agree with spuds, but I would also add ground clearance. Tires and ground clearance are going to contribute to 90% of your cars your ability (aside from driver skill), everything else is a minor consideration.

Among all the crossovers, I think Subarus probably have the best AWD system of any carmaker aside from Audi and Porsche. However, as I mentioned above, any of the competitors (CRV,RAV-4, etc) will perform about the same in any given situation because those two factors are usually very similar across all brands. I've taken my Forester on a lot of unmaintaned (or non-existing) roads and what's always been the limiting factor was ground clearance and traction, not what type of AWD or 4x4 system it had.

I also have a "real" 4x4 for off-roading, but if given the choice to use one for long distance travel, the choice is easy, I'd take the Forester. The advantages to a small crossover vs a 4x4 is it's more comfortable, gets better mileage, and is just easier to drive. The trade-off is the ability to travel more difficult roads, but since you say you don't have a need for a real 4x4 I would think any of the crossovers will fit the bill. If your planning to use this as your primary car, I wouldn't worry too much about off-road ability and just pick the one you like best.