Yeah, I don't like the shifter position on the CRV either (old or new). I didn't get that good of a look at the interior, but I liked what I saw on the outside except for the rims (I've seen interior pics on C&Ds website though).
She hasn't made up her mind if she wants to keep the 2015... only time will tell. But she's a bit leery of long term reliability and maintenance costs of a turbo engine (she saw all the maintenance that went into my 3000GT Twin Turbo VR4).
I really don't know if Mazda will drop the 2.5T into the CX5... despite what the enthusiasts on this forum say, I doubt it would really lift sales unless its somehow positioned to go up against an Audi QS5 or something similar upmarket. The lame and slow Nissan Rogue is outselling the CX5 3:1 and it has a wimpy 170 hp engine along with the CVT. But it offers a ton of amenities that Mazda doesn't. And most Americans seem to want that over power.