[Ka91]

I attached one of the documents Mazda uses to train their technicians on transmissions. Looking it over, some things that come to mind are debris in the transmission causing a stuck solenoid or it could be leaking fluid.

 

[Ka91]

I definitely think it is not normal. Someone was riding in my car the other day and remarked how smooth it was. It is definitely the smoothest driving car I've ever owned but I still prefer CVTs. Can you use the paddle shifters or put it in manual mode to see if it has problem changing gears when you tell it to? Maybe you can find a dealer that will go for a ride with you for free so you can get them to admit something is not right before they start diagnosing it.