WonkoTheSane: Where are you located? Mazda5 was canceled after 2015 in the US and still had the old engine and transmission, never got Skyactiv treatment sadly.
OP: I've been shopping some of the same vehicles, wife has 2012 Skyactiv Mazda3 but we're looking to get into something new, AWD, and maybe a little bigger. Short list is Golf R, Golf Alltrack, and Forester XT. I really like the Mazda products but wife wants AWD and prefers a smaller car, and delightfully doesn't really like CUVs at all. An AWD Mazda6 wagon would be great for us. I was drooling over the 6 wagon in Germany last summer. Alas not available here. Just like Golf R Sportwagen. Le sigh. Forester XT in contention only because we had an 04 that was nice and it has a little more scoot than the competition, but the current iteration is pretty much a mainstream CUV albeit with a very airy open feel. The CVT doesn't do much for me. I could lower it a little to spice up the dynamics and make it a little more "tall wagon" like but we'll see. They definitely moved it away from the "boxy lifted WRX" ethos which was so damn cool IMO.
I'm in CT, USA.. I just realized that I typo'd the year (it is a 2015).. I thought all of the 2.5s that year are DI, but looking at the specs I see that it's a traditional multiport. Shows you how often I get under the hood of that one, eh? My bad :)
Revise that previous number to only 3 or 4 of the fleet flying the "skyactive" badge.
In reply to turtl631:
I didn't realize it until I drove one, but like I said in that long original post, the Golf Sportwagen is avilable with 4motion as well, if you don't want the lift and, and two tone fenders/side skirting of the Alltrack.
I drooled over the Golf R, they had 3, and a beautiful blue one in the show room, we could swing it if we wanted, but it's not very practical for what we're looking for. I could just about buy 2 of the Mazda 3 Hatches for 1 Golf R.
The GTI is still on my short list, but I intentionally didn't drive one, just to keep from tempting myself. The Mazda is the more practical choice for us compared to it too. Though, I'm pleased to know that you don't have to option the performance pack separate anymore to get the LSD, just step up to the SE or higher trims and you get LSD and Leatherette. While I like the tartan seats, that's a tough sell to SWMBO. Buying an SE satisfies both "must haves," without having to special order anything.
The miserly tight ass in me, is leaning towards just finding something made in the last 7 years, that's comfortable, reliable and gets better MPGs than a Grand Marquis.
I've got an impractical diesel Wrangler truck to budget for in '19. 
sergio
Reader
3/25/17 10:39 p.m.
My Speed3 is about to hit 100k and it is still a blast to drive after 10 years. The Golf R is tempting but that's a lot of money.
My dad bought a '15 Mazda 3 Grand Touring with the auto. He bought it at the end of that year and paid $22k, seemed like a great deal to me. It's been fantastic for him, not a single issue and he seems happy. I drove it on a twisty canyon road and was very impressed, enough power to be fun and wonderful handling. It honestly reminded me of my old E36, except with the other wheels doing the work. It looks great, and the interior is top-notch. It can carry quite a bit of stuff, and fits four adults easily.
I also had a 2015 6 as a rental recently and loved it too.
I messed up, I drove a '16, Autobahn, Performance Pack, DSG, GTI. I'm a Eurosnob, no denying it, but I wanted to try and get it out of my system. It didn't work.
Shame they couldn't come down anymore on the '16 holdover, you'd think they want it off the lot, but it's fully optioned, and I couldn't get them to a price I was willing to pull the trigger on.
The search continues.
