I understand your frustration and you are correct about dealers... they do suck. One problem with this country is that when it comes to civil court, he with the most money _usually_ wins. To be honest, my P5 the first brand new car I have ever purchased. I purchased it through carsdirect.com, which was the best thing I ever did. The only thing I had to go to the dealer for was to sign papers and pick up my car. However, I think buying a new car for the warranty is a crock and I certainly never pay for an extended warranty!
I don't ever think that being educated as to what your rights are is a bad idea. Whether you actually RECEIVE those rights is a whole other story. Looks like you did get some kind of settlement from Mazda though, if I followed this thread correctly (a good thing). Of course, you didn't say how much it cost you (in time or money) and I'm not sure a straight across trade for a P5 was completely equitable.