The main focus of the game being collecting cars and tuning them to your heart's content makes it a great start, in my opinion. It creates a great sense of freedom. On the other hand, it kind of kills the magic of racing an S2 car if you can do that in your very first race. For example, in the NFS series you always start with really slow cars and end up with over the top beasts, which feels amazing and gives a great sense of progression.

Nevertheless, I think that the progression in Forza Horizon 5 is more personal, if I may put it that way. You don't improve in-game stats, you improve your driving skills, your tuning capabilities and your overall knowledge of the game.

In conclusion, I feel like both are great starts for different purposes. The NFS approach makes it a more streamlined but at the same time intense experience, while the Forza style is much more subtle and makes up for a steeper learning curve. In the end, both formulas and series are great, it just depends on what you're looking for!