I used to own a 2018 Outback which I replaced with an Acura MDX (mechanically identical to your Honda Pilot). My mother loved my Outback so she bought herself a 2020 Outback XT. I currently drive the MDX and 2019 CX-5 Touring as my daily drivers depending on where I am living (my job has me working in SoCal and New Mexico so I have cars in both states). Having extensively driven the CX-5 and both 18 & 20 Subaru models I can state that they are all excellent cars and I don't think you can make a bad choice with either selection.
Each make/model has their own trims and features lists and they can all be spec'd to have the features that you want, so I'll just compare the bones of the cars.
Noise: The Subarus are louder, especially in engine noise. The Mazda sounds smooth and refined even when you are at full throttle, whereas the Subaru engines are really course and sound like they are full of gravel. But both models are quiet cruisers on the highway, but Mazda wins my vote here.
Ride Quality/Handling: Mazda is sporty and has a tighter suspension. You will feel every bump in the road (especially with the large rims) but it never feels jarring or exhausting, there's just plenty of feedback. The Subaru suspensions are soft and allow a lot of travel. This makes the ride butter smooth but there is substantial body roll in the corners and panic braking will make you think the nose of the car is scraping the asphalt.
Transmission: Mazda has the tried and true 6 speed. No gimmicks here, it works well and knows what gear to be in always. It never draws attention to itself and I love that you can manually shift gears with the lever (Pull back for upshift, push forward to downshift just like a true sequential gearbox). The Subaru CVT has paddles which is only useful for driving down steep grades. The simulated gearshifts are fine, but unnecessary given that there is an infinite number of ratios to choose from with a CVT. In everyday driving the CVT is great to live with and very smooth, but it gets confused at full throttle (especially in the turbo model). I personally have no concerns with the long term reliability of either transmission.
AWD: Subaru symmetrical AWD is the best for off road and all weather performance hands down. In my experience, the Mazda is reluctant to send power rearward until the front wheels lose traction. This likely wont be an issue unless you have a steep driveway that ices easily or take your cars off pavement often like I do.
Driver Assistance: The Mazda's interface is easier to use and the ACC is very smooth. Because it is a radar-based unit it works in fog offering that extra level of safety in poor visibility conditions. The Subaru Eyesight system works exceptionally well and has lane centering assist which is a very useful feature to reduce driver fatigue. Additionally, the ACC doesn't get confused by cars in adjacent lanes while driving around curves (because it doesn't rely on radar). My only concern is that the system doesn't work in fog, severe rain, or when there's condensation on the windshield that blocks the systems view.
Fuel Economy: I get bad gas mileage in the 2020 Outback XT. Best I've managed in that is 24 mpg. With the 2.5 naturally aspirated engines in the CX-5 and my old 18 Outback, I easily average 32+ mpg, but I am 90% highway 10% city driving. (25.5 mpg on my MDX fyi). I cannot speak to the economy of Mazda's 2.5 Turbo engine however.
Overall these are both great cars but choosing a winner depends on your priorities (and if your current Forester has Eyesight and if that is a priority for you). The Mazda is the drivers car and performs well on the road. It is smaller and less spacious though, especially if you will put passengers in the rear seats. The Subaru is a better cruiser in my opinion. The seats and suspension are soft and supple, and with the Eyesight system you can roadtrip that car for days without feeling exhausted, even though the Mazda is a bit quieter. An issue I have with the Mazda is the fuel tank size. I drive mostly highway miles and the CX-5 needs to refuel about every 350 miles which puts me at the gas station way more frequently than I ever did in my Outback or my MDX.
That discussion aside...
Electric cars are great and they should be cheaper to own compared to traditional gasoline powered cars. I haven't studied enough metrics to know how well they will hold up over 10-15 years, but the engineer in me expects them to be more reliable and need less repairs than a gasoline or hybrid vehicle because they are mechanically simple. Less complexity = less to go wrong.
In my opinion Teslas are disappointing. They perform great and their range is impressive, but they are built too poorly for my consideration. Chipping paint, software reboots, water leaks, creaking, rattling, misaligned body panels, broken door handles... that's unacceptable for a car at any price point. I was hoping they would have improved their quality by now, especially on the Model S that's been in production since 2012, but no.
The future is looking good though, each year more and more EVs become available with more range and lower purchase price.
