A couple days ago I said "no" and walked away from a '19 Signature purchase negotiation. Last night the dealer called and made one last chance to sweeten the deal and we agreed. They'll find me my first color choice (Sonic Silver) and make sure the port doesn't add those silly $400 roof rails. They gave me a modest MSRP discount and finally gave me what I wanted on my '16 Touring trade in. Mazda will give me $1250 in Trade in and Loyalty incentives.

After test driving an RDX and looking at Q5's it's a no brainer to go with the Signature. The 2.5T's seamless acceleration is so much nicer then the RDX and the quality and features of the Signature interior is at least as good and maybe even better then the highest trim levels from Acura and Audi. (Acura is way too cluttered and Audi's top trim adds too much $'s just to match Mazda's features.) BMW's are too tired/fugly looking IMHO. I test drove a 707 HP GC Trackhawk and it's wicked fast at 3.5 0-60 but close to $100k and 13 MPG and it's still just a Jeep. I skipped over Mercedes and not fond of Porche styling. Anything with a CVT rubber band tranny was off the table.

My conclusion is the Signature adds a healthy dose of 2.5T driving fun, comes fully loaded with all the latest driving aids/features, has cleaner styling and competes head on in the luxury SUV segment but at a kindler/gentler price tag. I also think Mazda's reliability will be better in the long run. (my '16 has been perfect). I think Mazda will do quite well with this trim.

Congratulations! Thanks for providing those comparisons between the RDX, Q5, and CX-5.

Originally Posted by davefr

It's expensive for a Mazda but better value then it's competition.

People always seem to balk whenever they ask me what I paid for my CX-9. That's exactly what I tell them.

I'm trying to decide between a GTR and the Sig cars without yet looking on a car lot. Knowing differences will help me decide where to travel to take a further look.
When you run a comparison on Mazdas website they show as the same car on the built-in items.
The features list is more detailed and tells me this- Sig has grey silver wheels, GTR has brilliant silver; Sig has wood trim, GTR has none; Sig has brown lthr, GTR has other two colors and not same finish, etc.; Sig has badging, GTR none

What are the other differences? The MSRP is 2,020 diff between them before any additions. What do I get for ~ $2,000?
Help and thanks!

I'm trying to decide between a GTR and the Sig cars without yet looking on a car lot. Knowing differences will help me decide where to travel to take a further look.
When you run a comparison on Mazdas website they show as the same car on the built-in items.
The features list is more detailed and tells me this- Sig has grey silver wheels, GTR has brilliant silver; Sig has wood trim, GTR has none; Sig has brown lthr, GTR has other two colors and not same finish, etc.; Sig has badging, GTR none

What are the other differences? The MSRP is 2,020 diff between them before any additions. What do I get for ~ $2,000?
Help and thanks!

IMHO the most substantive difference was the Nappa leather seats. (wifey and I both thought they were nicer/more comfortable). The other nice feature is the 360 degree view monitor with front and rear parking sensors. Other then that, it's mostly "fluff" and 'bling bling" like fancier interior trim and lighting.