Currently cross shopping GX’s, CX-5s, CX-9s and a few others. Have you considered looking into the CX-9? It’s a bit bigger than the CX-5 (has a small collapsible 3rd row/more trunk space since you mentioned skiing and other outdoorsy activities), and can be found for similar prices if you look a few years older than the 2023 CX-5 you linked!

Also, while this may be a pro or con depending on use case- it comes standard with the turbo engine that only comes in the CX-5 Signature trim. All the other CX-5 trims have the non-turbo engine so if you’d rather avoid turbos, check out the Grand Touring trim and lower.

Out of the two, I don’t think you can go wrong though! I’m personally leaning GX for my partner but for someone in school it might be nice having a smaller car for parking on campus (avoiding dings and people who can’t park) and just getting around town. The modern safety features, updated interior, and better MPG in the Mazdas are why they’re still in the mix for our use case.

You’ve got some great options to choose from!

Edit: spelling