I took a 2019 CX-5 GT Turbo out for a spin today at lunch. My local Used-Car lot had one on the lot, and I'd been meaning to pay them a visit, since they offered me a free tank of gas and a cleaned car, by way of saying Thanks for a referral. So I took the CX-5 Turbo out, just to see how it compared to my naturally aspirated CX-5. My impression would be that I would probably not pay any extra money to upgrade from my 2.5NA to the turbo. Yes, it was quicker. Yes, it pushed you in the back of your seat more than mine does. But it wasn't mind-blowingly quicker. And given how much traffic there is these days in the city, there wouldn't be all that many places to use the power. Plus I wasn't 'wowed' enough to give up the advantages that come with my motor, namely better reliability, and better fuel economy (Blueprint often bemoans the terrible fuel economy of the turbo Mazda's that he tests). Let me put it this way - the CX-5 turbo is quick, and definitely has more power than the NA version, but at the end of the day it's not mind-bending or soul-corrupting power.
Now, if the two cars were side by side, and I had a choice between the GT Turbo, and a NA CX-5, then I'd take the turbo, of course, especially if the price difference was only a couple of grand. Some of the features of the GT were nice, though. Memory seats are a big plus in my book, I"m sure the Bose soundsystem sounds better than the base version in mine, the interior trim pieces are of a nicer material, the HUD is pretty cool. BUT, at the end of the day, it's still just a CX-5, and my car has 95% of what the GT Turbo has. Oh, and the seat bolsters in the GT are more aggressive than in the GS - it actually ended up being a less comfortable seat.