The Mazda CX50 vs Thread

I'm curious to see how others liked the vehicles from competitors prior to deciding on the Mazda. I'd be curious to see what people liked, didn't like about alternatives to the CX-50. Or Mazda in general. Can be any competitors brand you tested. Might be fun to put both head to head. For starters....

Nissan Rogue/Rogue Sport (RS) - Early on in my search (partially due to where I worked, I could get a discount), I took a full size Rogue for a drive. Unlike the CX-50, the Rogue had some sort of strange gear shifting setup that took a few minutes to figure out how to put it in reverse. Like the CX-50, it was pleasant to ride in and had a fair bit of ground clearance, if not a bit more. I then took its unrelated, now discontinued and Japanese made relative, the Rogue Sport, for a drive. Unlike the Mazda, the RS didn't handle corners as well. In fact, I started losing a bit of control during a test drive since I naturally take corners sharp and fast. But unlike the Mazda, the RS rode a lot more like my Cruze so a lot more smooth. Imagine Sport Mode, but by default. That's the get up the RS had.

Nissan Murano - The Murano beat the CX-50 in ride quality by a long shot, and for being a CVT, acceleration wasn't too sluggish. Equal amount of ground clearance in both, in fact the CX-50 is wider. Unlike the Premium Plus trim, the phony leather wrapped wheel on the Murano that felt a lot more like cloth was a massive turn off. Almost took a Midnight Edition of a Murano home. Sound system in a new Murano I would equivocate to the Bose system with very minor tweaks.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross - Unlike the CX-50, the cabin felt a bit smaller for something that shared its platform with the RS. Also unlike the CX-50, the Mitsubishi has a turn signal sound that reminds you of a video game. Ride quality and handling is about the same. Unlike the Mazda, you can get this one in a top trim for less buck.

GMC Terrain - Wasn't necessarily on my list, but in the absence of a Trailblazer, the salesmen lured me into one. Unlike the Mazda, the controls and interior were not at all hard to figure out given all GM vehicles are laid out the same in one way or another. Where the CX-50 had the upper hand was the headrest. The Terrains headrest feels like putting your head up against a picnic bench, no kidding. The salesman said, "you can buy a pillow." Crossed off the list. I'm thankful for how soft the headrest is now after that.

Jeep Compass - So I had this for a little under a month, os a bit more than a test drive. But the CX-50 and Compass are mutual in the sense both have jittery transmissions at low to moderate speeds. I rented the Latitude 4x4 trim, so on the same level as the Premium Plus. Where the Jeep had the upper hand on the Mazda was its ride is a bit smoother. Both are equally specious cabin wise. I would've strongly considered the Compass, but (gasp) its Mexican made. I would say the Jeep is on par with CX-50 in terms of how gas got burnt. I will add the Jeeps wiper blades were a bit more receptive when put on "auto" more compared to the CX-50.

So, what are your test drive experiences prior to deciding on a CX-50?