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As a Subaru owner who has a Outback and a Forester I would take the Forester. I like the visibility in the Forester better then the Outback. As some who likes smaller cars like the Miata, etc I’m 5’11 and i feel like I sit too low in it. Everything in the Forester feels more open to me personally.
IF I was buying new and as much as I LOVE my Forester I would buy the CX-5 because well I love as Mazda as much as Subaru but the Subaru comes with a CVT. The Mazda come with a 6 speed auto no CVT.
Consumer Reports likes the Forester the best but Subaru is having massive recalls that require disassembly of a lot of the engine. Because of that, I would get the RAV4
Huh?
The Subaru head gasket problem was solved on the Outback for the 2010 model year with the 4th generation larger platform. The Forester had the fix in the 2011 model year.
Would I buy an older Subaru that didn't already have the head gaskets replaced? Sure, if it's priced properly. It's a $1,000 repair at an indie and maybe $1,500 at a dealership. The 6 cylinder 3rd generation Outback and the turbo version of the Forester didn't have the problem.
I own a 6-cylinder Outback. I think the 175 hp 4-cylinder is a dog. The OP is talking about base trim level. It's hard to imagine my car without the EyeSight adaptive cruise control. The base trim level doesn't even have the normal winter driving features like heated seats, heated mirrors, and heated windshield under the wiper blades. It would also be tough to give up some of the top trim level features like keyless entry/pushbutton start and the power liftgate.
I've driven Hertz rental RAV-4's quite a few times. At that trim level, I think the car is awful. I have no idea if it's better in the top trim level. I don't like the seating position. An Outback is a lifted Legacy wagon with a car seating position. That's what I prefer.
I could live with a Grand Cherokee but it would need to have a 100k extended warranty and I wouldn't want to own it beyond the warranty.
If you want to get an Outback, I'd wait for the new model that will come out near the end of the year. Those will be a clean sheet redesign and based on the new Subaru Global platform that the Crosstrek, Forester, Ascent and upcoming Legacy have also been moved to. All accounts are that each vehicle has been much improved by the move to the new Global Platform.
Nope. I'd want 5 years of reliability data on the 2.4L turbo. The Ascent is the first use of that engine and nobody knows if the engine will prove to be reliable. The first Ascents hit the market last July. There is no way I'd ever buy an Outback with the 2.5L normally aspirated 4-cylinder.
(all in base-model trim, except with AWD / 4WD. Driving will be mostly on streets & highways,
with occasional dirt-road -- not offroad -- travel).
What are some factors that might not be noticeable in a short test drive?
Out of the choices given, I would say go with the Outback.
However, having said that, I must also confess that I had four issues that led to me eventually trading mine in:
1) the cost of routine maintenance (oil changes, etc.) was much more expensive than the average vehicle,
2) Outbacks tended to be dangerously underpowered at the worst possible moments, like merging onto highways and turning onto busy streets from a standstill getting up to speed with the traffic flow,
3) the CVT drone became insufferable over the years, especially during highway driving or hard acceleration, and
4) fuel efficiency never met EPA claims EVER (which was probably the biggest disappointment with the Outback).
Other than these issues, I found the Outback to be a very reliable and capable vehicle and it should be adequate for your needs.
Nope. I'd want 5 years of reliability data on the 2.4L turbo. The Ascent is the first use of that engine and nobody knows if the engine will prove to be reliable. The first Ascents hit the market last July. There is no way I'd ever buy an Outback with the 2.5L normally aspirated 4-cylinder.
My wife’s got over 200k on her Outback and I have 336K on my 01 Forester.
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They are , at best, crossovers. 
