Just was posting up in the pricing thread when you mentioned this.
Wife and I made the same decision. We've been in an '03 Tribute LX for the last ten years and plan on being in the CX-5 just as long.
Justification for us was as follows:
1. We liked the look and flow of the leather interior better. Nothing wrong with the cloth, but the leather just makes the interior for us.
2. I like the look of the 19" wheels much better. The 17s just leave too much gap for me. Of course, I'll be regretting the 19s when replacement time comes...
3. Adaptive bi-xenons. I have them in my BMW and love them. Great light output, the leveling is nice when you are carrying passengers/cargo, and the adaptive lights are a nice feature when you're driving twisty roads at night. I think these alone are worth the price of the Tech package.
4. SCBS. With the list of cockpit distractions ever-growing, anything that can save me or her from punching the car in front of us is worth a little extra up front, imo. If we have a minor fender-bender that this would have prevented, our insurance deductible alone will be nearly as much as the Tech package.
As for the dealer locate, I share your concerns but that's what we were forced to do. There aren't any GTs w/Tech at the local dealers, so they'll be driving one in from about 50 miles away. Not too bad, but still 50 miles I'd rather be putting on the vehicle.
Unfortunately I think that's just going to be the reality for a while until the inventories catch up.
