Any comments on the AWD system?
I did drive it on two snowy days. One was very cold with only about 2cm down, and I didn't notice the AWD system whatsoever (a compliment!!) and there was no sliding except around a traffic circle where the car understeered until I let off the gas and everything was fine. It was the night where Guelph Police responded to 13 accidents including one Dodge Journey flipped on its side on Woodlawn Rd:
https://globalnews.ca/news/7523226/guelph-police-icy-roads-crashes/amp/The other day, with about 3cm down, I again had absolutely no slippage (or if there was any, it was 100% imperceptible to me).
The Hakkapeliita tires are pretty impressive even on dry ground so long as you're not looking for hardcore handling, but they're pretty quiet and comfortable.
Really, really happy with the AWD system thus far. It's actually less "intrusive" than the Forester, but that may just be sound deadening in the Mazda and the Subaru will flash its TCS light when slippage is detected. Haven't seen any such light in the Mazda and perhaps the TCS just works in the background, but I've not felt any loss of power when driving through slippery stuff.
Mazda of Toronto asserted that the first tank was filled with "premium" but I don't know if it was 93 or had ethanol.
Costco gas is great in our Forester with premium being cheap and no ethanol, but it's only 91. When cold out, the difference between 91 and 93 is likely tiny, and the power curve of this engine really suggests that the power boost with 93 only exists above 4,000rpm, which I rarely venture into.
The low fuel light came on so I'll probably fill with Costco gas tonight (91 octave, but good enough).
What I find really interesting about Mazda's take on this Turbo was to avoid the false fuel claims by adding the intercooler before the EGR to avoid knock at high load. Whereas others run a rich burn (throw in more fuel) solely to cool down the combustion to allow for higher compression without knock, Mazda uses the intercooler to avoid running rich and thereby reduces fuel usage/the downside of small displacement turbos.
See the below video at 5:49
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hGThKKxNSko