Switched about a month ago from the 3 XL to the S20 FE.
Display: The 3 XL was way too dim to use in direct sunlight. The S20 FE is more than fine. I'm sure the Pixel 5 will fall somewhere in between, the question being is it useable. S20 FE has 120Hz display vs Pixel 5 90Hz. I can clearly see the difference in smoothness while scrolling, but that depends on your visual acuity as to how much you will notice it. It's really just an aesthetic thing - if the phone didn't have ample battery life, I'd probably just disable it to eek out the extra hour I found it to provide (based on my use) between my testing it on/off. S20FE display is a bit larger than what you had, whereas the Pixel 5's is a bit more compact. Larger screen is better, but all other things being the same I'd take the slightly smaller screen to gain a much smaller and easier to pocket/1-hand body.
Battery: The 3 XL battery gave me 5-6h SOT when I got it. 20 months later it was down to 2h (much worse wear over time than the 2 XL had experienced). S20 FE is giving me 8-9h. You know best what you need, and your numbers will vary. I'm delighted with the S20 FE, but have no doubt the Pixel 5 would be ample, at least at first. Either should be a big boost vs your 2 XL. The S20FE is a bit larger battery than the 5, but also runs a less efficient CPU/Modem pairing, larger/higher refresh display.
Camera: Love the flexibility of multiple cameras on the S20 FE, but compared to the 3 XL, unless I'm using the telephoto beyond 2x or using the wide angle, it doesn't produce as reliably a great picture as the 2-year old Pixel. Still does a great job, but with my preferring the reliably great-every-time output of the 3 XL for what would constitute 95% of the shots I take, I'd have to give a strong nod to the Pixel 5 outside of lengthier zooms.
Software: We like what we're used to, so it would be unfair for me to point out things I don't like about Samsung's UI much like it would for someone coming from Samsung to do the same regarding Pixel. I ended up 'Pixel-ifying' mine to a pretty substantial degree with launchers, etc.
Biometrics: Nice 'quality of life' upgrade from your 2 XL, in that for many apps you can use it instead of having to recall and enter a (hopefully) unique and complex password for access. Pixel 5 has the old faithful, supremely reliable rear FPS. Coming from the 2 XL this would be new, but having made that transition when I went from the 2 XL to the 3 XL, I can tell you it was completely effortless. The position of the sensor is such that your fingertip naturally rests on it every time you pull the phone from a pocket (or, I suspect, a purse) and the phone is unlocked before you are even looking at it. Assuming the 5 hasn't regressed, it supports learning up to 10 fingerprints, so you have ample room to accommodate all of your digits (unless you're of the rare 6-fingered hand persuasion), or an ample assortment of yours and someone else with whom you'd entrust full access. The S20 FE was a big letdown in this regard - its in-display fingerprint only allows up to 3 fingerprints to be stored, and, 30 days in, still requires very conscious placement of the finger to authorize - and even then only works about 90% of the time (which in itself doesn't seem bad until compared to the 3 XL, which I barely remember ever failing, and never required me to think about using). The FPS is probably my single biggest annoyance on the S20 FE.
I will say there is one very functional difference that may be critical to some and has impacted me: Samsung does NOT support multiple user profiles, so you cannot have separate 'logins' with sets of apps for use under personal, work, children's, guest profiles, etc.
TLDR, I really am enjoying the S20 FE for its superbright display and insane battery life, great construction and value of parts. I think it's a very, very good phone, and would probably encourage anyone who is used to Samsung phones to go with it over the Pixel 5. But as a long-time Pixel user, if I could switch now for the same price from the S20 FE to the Pixel 5, I'd do. The 5 doesn't have the better parts list nearly across the board that the S20 FE boasts (other than the 5 having 1/3 more RAM and Gorilla Glass a few generations newer), but the Google's history of integrating its software so fluidly with the hardware lets it consistently get so much more in total than one would likely infer from the sum of its parts. Of course, take my preference with a couple of caveats - we each value different things in a phone. My preference is a phone that does everything I want it to do with minimal effort and does it well - and for the duration needed. Pixels have a history of delivering that extremely well for me with the ones I've bought (yeah, I skipped the 4th iteration).
Display: The 3 XL was way too dim to use in direct sunlight. The S20 FE is more than fine. I'm sure the Pixel 5 will fall somewhere in between, the question being is it useable. S20 FE has 120Hz display vs Pixel 5 90Hz. I can clearly see the difference in smoothness while scrolling, but that depends on your visual acuity as to how much you will notice it. It's really just an aesthetic thing - if the phone didn't have ample battery life, I'd probably just disable it to eek out the extra hour I found it to provide (based on my use) between my testing it on/off. S20FE display is a bit larger than what you had, whereas the Pixel 5's is a bit more compact. Larger screen is better, but all other things being the same I'd take the slightly smaller screen to gain a much smaller and easier to pocket/1-hand body.
Battery: The 3 XL battery gave me 5-6h SOT when I got it. 20 months later it was down to 2h (much worse wear over time than the 2 XL had experienced). S20 FE is giving me 8-9h. You know best what you need, and your numbers will vary. I'm delighted with the S20 FE, but have no doubt the Pixel 5 would be ample, at least at first. Either should be a big boost vs your 2 XL. The S20FE is a bit larger battery than the 5, but also runs a less efficient CPU/Modem pairing, larger/higher refresh display.
Camera: Love the flexibility of multiple cameras on the S20 FE, but compared to the 3 XL, unless I'm using the telephoto beyond 2x or using the wide angle, it doesn't produce as reliably a great picture as the 2-year old Pixel. Still does a great job, but with my preferring the reliably great-every-time output of the 3 XL for what would constitute 95% of the shots I take, I'd have to give a strong nod to the Pixel 5 outside of lengthier zooms.
Software: We like what we're used to, so it would be unfair for me to point out things I don't like about Samsung's UI much like it would for someone coming from Samsung to do the same regarding Pixel. I ended up 'Pixel-ifying' mine to a pretty substantial degree with launchers, etc.
Biometrics: Nice 'quality of life' upgrade from your 2 XL, in that for many apps you can use it instead of having to recall and enter a (hopefully) unique and complex password for access. Pixel 5 has the old faithful, supremely reliable rear FPS. Coming from the 2 XL this would be new, but having made that transition when I went from the 2 XL to the 3 XL, I can tell you it was completely effortless. The position of the sensor is such that your fingertip naturally rests on it every time you pull the phone from a pocket (or, I suspect, a purse) and the phone is unlocked before you are even looking at it. Assuming the 5 hasn't regressed, it supports learning up to 10 fingerprints, so you have ample room to accommodate all of your digits (unless you're of the rare 6-fingered hand persuasion), or an ample assortment of yours and someone else with whom you'd entrust full access. The S20 FE was a big letdown in this regard - its in-display fingerprint only allows up to 3 fingerprints to be stored, and, 30 days in, still requires very conscious placement of the finger to authorize - and even then only works about 90% of the time (which in itself doesn't seem bad until compared to the 3 XL, which I barely remember ever failing, and never required me to think about using). The FPS is probably my single biggest annoyance on the S20 FE.
I will say there is one very functional difference that may be critical to some and has impacted me: Samsung does NOT support multiple user profiles, so you cannot have separate 'logins' with sets of apps for use under personal, work, children's, guest profiles, etc.
TLDR, I really am enjoying the S20 FE for its superbright display and insane battery life, great construction and value of parts. I think it's a very, very good phone, and would probably encourage anyone who is used to Samsung phones to go with it over the Pixel 5. But as a long-time Pixel user, if I could switch now for the same price from the S20 FE to the Pixel 5, I'd do. The 5 doesn't have the better parts list nearly across the board that the S20 FE boasts (other than the 5 having 1/3 more RAM and Gorilla Glass a few generations newer), but the Google's history of integrating its software so fluidly with the hardware lets it consistently get so much more in total than one would likely infer from the sum of its parts. Of course, take my preference with a couple of caveats - we each value different things in a phone. My preference is a phone that does everything I want it to do with minimal effort and does it well - and for the duration needed. Pixels have a history of delivering that extremely well for me with the ones I've bought (yeah, I skipped the 4th iteration).
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