Then is sounds like you are on the correct path. DIY is fun but it involves a LOT of trial, error and waste. If you are targeting something affordable that can work wood and maybe aluminum at that size than the MPCNC is by far the best choice. And like you said it is a sexy looking machine. Then if you build a standard machine you can get a LOT of support from this community. Its actually a lot of fun.
No there are not any advantages to doing a low rider that small. Keep in mind that when building an MPCNC that the machine is about 11" bigger X and Y that its working area. So if you want to have it cut up to 2’x2’ then the machine will be a little less than 3’x3’ in size.