Just got my CX-50 TPP (Zircon/Terra) - a mini review

I've been looking for this combination for a number of months without finding any available (Maryland & neighbor states) and finally gave up and put an order in at my local dealer at the end of October. I was told 60-90 days wait, but it came in last Friday Dec 16th, so only 48 days - sorry, Canadians! Picked her up yesterday (at MSRP plus $499 dealer conveyancing fee) and have been test driving her around. One point, I was going to buy outright - this was my retirement present for myself, and I actually worked 6 months longer than planned to build up the cash reserve - but when I got there, they asked if I would be financing, and told me Mazda was offering 2.9% for 36 months! Given that Ally Bank is giving 3.3% now for regular online accounts, I figured it was a no-brainer. I should actually work out ahead, and at least maintain some liquidity, so I financed about 60%. That loan rate is fantastic, I did do some research a couple of weeks ago and couldn't find anything below 5-6%.

Anyway, I did take a test drive to see if the car had any of the common problems noted on the forum(s) - none found. In summary from all the driving:

1. No rattles anywhere (so far at least)
2. No anti-vibration felt peaking up at the A-pillar bases
3. No cuts/cracks in the seat leather
4. Heated/cooled seats work fine, ditto the steering wheel (just prefect warmth)
5. Seats seem perfectly comfortable to me (at least for the short journeys I've taken so far). If I look for it, I can feel the center rib along the base, but only if I concentrate. If I just go and drive, I don't notice it at all. I love the fact that the lumber support really has an effect. At full extension it's actually too much! Previous cars, including the CX-5, have not provided enough support.
6. Reviews have mentioned how heavy the steering is. Not sure if they have done a mid-year change here, but my steering is not noticeably heavy at all. I can drive with two fingers on the road, and one-handed when parking, just fine. ??. I have not driven our CX-5 since, but the 50 doesn't seem any more heavy than I remember that car being. Hmm?
7. Ride quality... maybe that is a bit stiffer than the CX-5, but not enough to make me regret the purchase. Big bumps are absorbed nicely, rough roads are a tiny bit more jarring.
8. Noise... Yes it's noisier than the CX-5. It seems to be all road noise, with an emphasis on higher frequencies. On smooth roads it's perfectly fine, but noisier on rougher roads. Again, not bad enough to make me regret the buy. It's still far quieter and smoother than my convertible

OK, on to the gripes... most/all of these have been reported by others, so I hereby join that club:

• Wireless charger does not work with my Galaxy S10, no matter how I position it. Yet my wife's larger S10+ with a heavy otterbox case that's too big to even fit in the slot, will charge fine with a gap above the charger! Go figure. I have to look into this more.
• I hate the turn signal sound. What were they thinking?
• Don't like the center-split center compartment. Seems like a good idea in theory, but you almost always have to open both sides to get at anything, making it twice as hard to use.
• The new (vs. our 2019 CX-5) radio setup, is weird when it comes to favorites. The CX-5 keeps the radio favorites to the radio and the saved Nav favorites to the Nav. This car merges them all, so you see radio stations and Nav points all mixed up when you press the favorites button. WTF? Maybe need to RTFM to see if there's some rhyme or reason that I'm not understanding (any help welcome).

So that's it. Minor quibbles, but love the car. Love the driving/handling. Very happy.