Japanese Automaker Claims Four of 10 Spots on List
CHICAGO, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Fourth of July just around the corner, Cars.com has announced the rankings in its annual American-Made Index, which ranks the most-American vehicles based on percentage (by cost) of their parts that are made domestically, where they're built and how popular they are among U.S. buyers. This year, the Toyota Camry shot to the top of the list, dethroning the five-time winner, the Ford F-150.
In addition to grabbing the No. 1 rank, Toyota sees its Sienna (No. 6), Tundra (No. 7) and Venza (No. 10) also make their way onto the list, lifting the Japanese automaker's count above all other manufacturers. This year, Detroit automakers claimed five of the 10 spots, a record low on Cars.com's index.
'This year was unique for our index, to say the least,' said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor in chief. 'The difficult sales environment and changes in cars' domestic-parts content -- both important factors in our index's equation -- played a huge role in how the rankings changed from last year.'
In keeping with American-Made Index methodology, Cars.com excluded any models scheduled to be discontinued without a clear successor. That carried stronger implications this year, as most Pontiac models - including the G6, a longtime index mainstay - became ineligible. Another GM mainstay, the Ohio-built Chevrolet Cobalt, saw its domestic-parts content rating drop significantly, ending its three-year run on the list.
General Motors still takes three slots, with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups showing strong domestic-parts content ratings. The popular Chevrolet Malibu ranked third, thanks in part to its 80 percent domestic-parts content and steady sales.
The Alabama-built Honda Odyssey increased slightly in domestic-parts content, up to 80 percent this year, which played a large role in its elevation to the No. 4 spot. Another newcomer, the Ford Taurus, boasts an impressive 90 percent domestic-parts content, the highest of any vehicle on the list.
'In today's global economy, there's not an easy way to determine just how American a car is,' Olsen said. 'Most cars built in the U.S., for example, are assembled using at least some parts that come from somewhere else.
