Well, things escalated quickly over the past couple of days — ended up parting ways with the Mazda5. I'd gotten yet another code thrown after the dreaded CEL illuminated. I figure I could just bite the bullet and replace a few valves/solenoids to rid the three codes stored. However, I took an inventory of everything else that needs fixin' and it came to around $4000 — give or take a couple hundred.
So, with a mix of research and desperation, we traded the Mazda5 in for a 2016 RAV4 LE AWD. I really like what I read about the RAV4. It's not the pickup or hardcore off road SUV I was looking for, but I couldn't resist the ridiculously low KMs and the price, the added benefit of AWD over FWD, and the ability to tow smaller loads.
So yeah, it's been a slice! I really enjoyed being a part of the Mazdas247 community and appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm still a Mazda fan and will pop in to see what everyone's up to!
In the meantime, here's a quick Photoshopped look at where the 'new' RAV4 is headed:
View attachment 301017
Take care!