r/Cadillac • u/PerfectBlueRequiem • 3d ago
Imbalanced Comparison - CT5 vs Malibu
Not here to share an opinion just to shake up a common ethos for individuals comparing Chevrolet offerings with Cadillac; particularly the comparison between the Chevy Malibu & Cadillac CT5. Considering the fact that the two are not even built on the same GM platform (Epsilon vs Alpha 2), and the driving dynamics are not all that similar - I would love to get a better idea of why anyone feels that these two vehicles are comparable.
I hear it all the time from Euro fanboys and auto vloggers that review the CT5 with a bias against GM products.
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u/RefrigeratorTime6271 2d ago
Ignorant bullshit pedaling.
They also love trying to flex the Euro car superiority idea. The fact that they don't even know the differences in platforms says it all. Alpha is one of the best platforms on the market. I bet they don't even know Alpha was reversed engineered from the E46 platform.
They're stuck in an old mind frame and at this point, it's pointless trying to argue that our cars can handle better than theirs for a fraction of the cost. Yes, corners get cut, but GM cars punch very high up. For the price, you get an incredible driving machine.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
Well said! 🙌🏾
- and believe me when I say I understand that GM has cut a few corners to make the CT5 what it is today but the point you made cannot be stressed enough; "for the PRICE you get an incredible driving machine".
Imo the comparison to Euro cars should not even be relevant in a conversation about the CT5. I find a more compelling argument when vloggers contrast the CT5 with the Genesis G70, Infiniti Q60, or even the Chrysler 300. These are all vehicles that strive for affordability while offering the most comfort, luxury, and performance for the price.
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u/ChasedWarrior 2d ago
Premium vs Luxury cars. Is Cadillac the new Buick when it comes to sedans?
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
Well in reference to sedans (CT4, CT5, and CT6 [in Asia]) I think Cadillac has been the Buick of sedans for quite some time. At the very least, it has been this way since the early 2010s. The only vehicle in the Cadillac lineup that I see receives the "premium", and rightfully so, is the Escalade. The beauty of what Cadillac did with its sedans is that they offer entry level luxury with a driving experience that makes you feel like you spent more than you actually have.
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u/EatMiBanhMi 2d ago
We’re a GM fam, & we had a Malibu for years. Honestly, it’s loaded in mid trim for a younger driver. The driving experience is lackluster at best & non planting. I didn’t drive the 2.0 CT5, but I’d imagine someone could compare the two in that stage?
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
I guess one could make that comparison without dismissing the CT5 as a whole (Base CT5 to Mid-Trim Malibu) especially as a way to appeal to the younger buyer considering both, but often that is not the case. They use the comparison as a way to cut the legs out from under the Cadillac sedans.
Sedans are already struggling to stay relevant as it is in the US market.
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u/vvestian 2d ago
Not even close. The Malibu is on the equinox platform and the ct5 is on the Camaro platform
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u/Falloutvictim 2d ago edited 2d ago
The Alpha I & II platforms were first developed and used by Cadillac, so the fair and proper way to word it is that the Camaro borrowed the Alpha platform, not the other way around.
Alpha I debuted with the Cadillac ATS and CTS, later used by the Camaro.
Alpha II is currently only used by the CT4 and CT5. If there is a seventh gen Camaro it would likely be on Alpha II, but as far as we know there is no seventh gen Camaro planned. So the CT4 and CT5 are on their own platform, the Alpha II.
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u/BeerLeagueSnipes 2d ago
I had a CT5 sport as a rental recently when my XT6 was in for servicing.
I really liked it. If I didn’t have a family with a child and had to lug around a lot of stuff on occasion I would definitely consider buying one.
There’s absolutely no comparison between the CT5 and the Malibu.
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u/SloppyPizzaPie 2d ago
Not sure if anyone has pointed it out yet, but the interior photo you shared of the Malibu is the 8th gen while the exterior photo you shared is the 9th gen. I’ve owned both generations and the 9th gen interior is far superior.
That said, the Cadillac is objectively the better car. But the Malibu is a decent “appliance” for the money.
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u/TheJennaOrtega 2d ago
My dad hates that the top of the dashboard in the Malibu is so flat 😂...I was like, interesting 🤔
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
In the defense of the Malibu, almost all GM econoboxes come equipped with a one-dimensional dash 😅🤏🏾
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u/Mr6507 '16 CT6 2d ago
Both my CTS and CT6 have been assumed to be front wheel drive cars due to 80s through 00s Cadillac, people say wild things when they're not educated.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
-with the default excuse being, "Cadillac doesn't brand themselves well, so I didn't know they made anything with performance".
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u/TheJennaOrtega 2d ago
When my dad was young, he was working construction, & staying at an apartment & bought a used '59 Buick & it was an electrical pain, so he took the engine out, sold it & left the car in the apartments parking lot when he moved out & said he's never get another Buick & bought a '60 Chev Impala
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u/1888okface 2d ago
If this were a comparison between cars made on the same platform, I would see it as a great review so people could under stand what “buying Cadillac” really gets them beyond the badging.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
Something I wish more Auto Vloggers would do. It's solemn that I hear reviews refer to the Camaro when making contrasts to driving dynamics, but it would be the best baseline imo.
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u/Various_Monk959 2d ago
I’m presenting driving a 2024 Malibu rental. It’s basic transportation. Solid car and good features but not luxurious in any way and the engine is anemic when put under any load (weight or steep inclines). I would be happy with it as a daily driver but not for road trips.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
It's commonplace at this point that most brands 4 cylinder options to simply lack any personality or depth at all so I won't put the onus on them alone but it's another reason the two vehicles cannot be compared.
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u/ELECTRICxWIZARDx 2d ago
I wonder if it stems from the 2.0T LTG engine being shared between both the '13 ATS and '13 Malibu when it debuted. Wildly different chassis though.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
That is true. It could just be a carry over from that rhetoric.
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u/ELECTRICxWIZARDx 2d ago
It's a fair criticism of the XTS, which is essentially a tarted-up Impala. The closest they've come to a "traditional Caddy" since the Northstar era ended, if by "traditional" you mean a big ole FWD floaty boat with numb steering.
But nah, the CTS and ATS were aimed squarely at competing against the Golden Era 5-series and 3-series respectively. Then the ATS became the CT4, and the CTS became the CT5.
Some folks still don't seem to have gotten the memo that Caddy builds all the coolest GM stuff, now that Pontiac is dead, and Buick hasn't built anything I'm interested in for near two decades now. I like Chevy pickups, but the other divisions have always had the better cars.
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u/ChasedWarrior 2d ago
I have read that the interior of the CT is a bit Malibu like and not up Cadillac luxury standards of the past.
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
If that rhetoric is aimed at the quality of "materials" then I cannot argue against that point, but from a design aspect I would have to disagree.
A CT may not be leaps and bounds more luxurious than a Malibu but it is luxury none the less. By way of material quality, I will say that they are certainly comparable - but does that speak to the lack of effort on Caddy's part, or the level of care on Chevy's?
E.g. Porsche, Audi, and VW all share parts and their material quality is comparable, but no one steps into a Porsche and says, "Ew why is this the same infotainment system as the Jetta?"...
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u/TheJennaOrtega 2d ago
When Olds, Saturn & Pontiac died, Buick was going to become the middle brand between Chev & Cadi, & become the performance brand...
...thoughts? Did that/is that happening?
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
I wouldn't say that is what's happening at least from what I can see with year over year releases from Buick. They have taken a similar approach to GMC and are selling larger vehicles to scratch the ever growing itch of the American Market for SUVs, Trucks, and Overlanders - leaving their sedans in a ditch to die while the Envista, Encore, Envision, and Enclave live out their "Chrysler Pacifica" dreams of grandeur.
On the other hand: do I think it is possible that with a push for electrification, Buick may resurrect their sedans with a different powertrain? Very possible. But performance seems to be outside of their vision of what (imo) is a push to dive deeper into affordable luxury vehicles with a flagship (Similar to the Escalade) in their Envision and Enclave as the more premium (but still affordable) luxury options.
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u/dts843 2d ago
Same frames
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u/PerfectBlueRequiem 2d ago
If by "frames" you are referring to the chassis frames, they are not the same.
CT5: "Alpha 2" (Platform by developed by Cadillac)
Malibu: "Epsilon" (GM Platform used for FWD in Chevy, Opel, and Saab)
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u/ExiledSpaceman ATS 2d ago edited 2d ago
That’s a weird comparison for sure. I’d have expected the CT4 vs Malibu.
I’m sure it all stems from GM being notorious for badge engineering and just assuming the CT5 and Malibu sharing the same platform because they’re both GM made sedans.