Thanks for the feedback. I'd have to agree with the torque comments. It just felt really peppy.
Also agree on the GT. If I was a retiree or a business guy then maybe Nappa leather makes sense but feel like GT is the better deal. Personally not a huge fan of the reddish brown leather but it does feel really nice.
Only disappointment is that you can't get beige interior with the navy blue paint. Wife really likes the blue and I think beige leather would look awesome with it.
The thing I found with the Highlander was that it was more linear in the acceleration and that it had a softer spring than the CX-9.
Personally I prefer the CX-9 driving characteristics, but wife likes the softer floaty feel of the Highlander, the extra space, and the middle row captains chairs. Downside of Highlander is the third row is tighter but that might be less of an issue since we'll have car seats on both middle row seats so can slide those all the way forward.
At the end of the day it might simply come down to which is the better deal. With loyalty pricing on the Mazda it might win out.
Thanks for the feedback.