According to Carscoops , recent tariff policies and developments in the trade war have led many automakers to increasingly focus on the "made in USA" label. However, many of the most distinctly "American" car models are actually products of foreign automakers.
Cars.com uses a set of metrics called the American-Made Index (AMI), which reflects the degree of "domestic" origin of vehicles manufactured and assembled in the United States.
As a result, the top 20 list of AMI models includes 12 that are not from American automakers. More broadly, the list of 86 models in Cars.com 's study includes 14 Toyota models, alongside 13 Honda models.
In the aforementioned list, General Motors contributed 13 models, while Ford had only 9. Stellantis boasts 6 models with the highest AMI ratings – which is not surprising given that most of its production takes place in Canada and Mexico.
The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y top the list of the most "American" cars, as both are products of the Fremont factory in California. The Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Grand Cherokee follow closely behind.
The next seven positions on the list are all occupied by foreign automakers. The Honda Ridgeline and Honda Odyssey, manufactured in Alabama, ranked 5th and 6th, while the Lexus TX 350 came in seventh. The Honda Accord, Acura MDX, Honda Passport, and Toyota Camry followed in that order.
The Cadillac Lyriq, a model from the American brand, turned out to be less "made in USA" than the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, and Infiniti QX60. General Motors' electric vehicle also had a lower AMI (Audit Alliance Model Index) than the Acura MDX and a number of other BMW models – which are manufactured at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina.
Cars.com 's research examined a total of 379 car models in the U.S. this year, ranking them based on five core factors: final assembly location, percentage of components from the U.S. and Canada. The research also considered the origin of engines and transmissions, as well as the level of U.S. workforce involvement.
Cars.com 's study only ranked light passenger cars, meaning any vehicle with a design gross weight exceeding 3,855 kg was excluded. Therefore, the Tesla Cybertruck and many other large pickup trucks were excluded from the survey results, regardless of their country of origin.
According to Carscoops , US tariff policies appear to be having a significant impact. Several models in the study have seen a substantial increase in the percentage of domestically produced components compared to previous surveys.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a prime example, where a 14% increase in components from the US and Canada helped the model climb 66 places in the AMI rankings compiled by Cars.com .
The Lexus TX 350 also jumped 34 places in the rankings, primarily due to its engine and transmission now being manufactured in the United States.
This year's ranking is notable for the absence of electric car models that are distinctly "made in the USA" but have low sales figures, including the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, and Volkswagen ID.4.
Among these, the ID.4, previously manufactured in Chattanooga (Tennessee), is expected to return to the US market as an imported vehicle.
According to Cars.com expert Patrick Masterson, nearly 67% of this year's list of cars with the highest AMI ratings are models from foreign brands.
"This often surprises customers, but it shows just how complex the modern automotive manufacturing process really is," commented Patrick Masterson.