The other thing that was in stark contrast was the cloth seating - some kind of basic open-weave cloth that is going to inhale dirt. My 2012 Mazda 5 Sport has a much tighter weave cloth that does a good job combating dirt (plus I ScotchGarded it myself). Luckily, this dealer has a Katzkin installer nearby, so a leather interior is just $1000 away.
Before you pull the trigger there, talk to the installer -- not the dealer -- about color options. If you just go for the "OEM match" you will get the "Sand" equivalent (I think they call it "Putty"); that was a bit of a surprise for me, since I expected to get the "Parchment" [equivalent] I saw in the 2016 GTs (the Katzkin name is "Alabaster", I believe). That may be a little light, but I think it actually looks better with the car's ceiling (which is close to parchment), and I was not quite as happy with the "Sand" color match in my 2016 as I was with my "old" 2015 (RIP). Point being is that they have lots of shades that are just a smudge different and that might be more aesthetically pleasing to you. I know I had long discussions with the Katzkin people about their choice of "Puddy" when in my mind a neighboring color was a much better match. Oh well.
I believe the "Alabaster" would also hold up longer/better than the OEM "Parchment" because in my experience/opinion Katzkin's leather is better quality than what you get from Mazda. But that is purely subjective...
Also, if you like a firmer driver/passenger seat, they can add extra padding at the time of the installation. No extra charge.