Sorry GM Crossovers, Cars.com Says the Toyota Camry is the Most American Vehicle

In its 2016 American-Made Index, Cars.com returned a familiar nameplate to the top spot, but it isn’t built by a domestic automaker.

According to the annual ranking, Toyota Camry retains the American-made crown this year with 75-percent domestic content. Other Japanese models, each wrapped up in red, white and blue, fill up the top five.

The findings fly in the face of the Kogod Made in America Auto Index published last week, which had domestic automakers on top.

The two studies used different methodologies to reach their patriotic conclusions, with Cars.com focusing on parts content, assembly location and volume. Kogod added labor, research and development, and corporate profits to the mix.

Besides the Camry, which is seen at least as often as the American flag no matter where you go, the top five include the Honda Accord, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Honda Pilot. The full-size General Motors crossovers that topped the Kogod list — Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave — come in at number six, seven and eight.

Why no top 10? Other models simply didn’t have the combination of American content and volume to warrant a mention. The eight vehicles that did earn an AMI rating are built in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama.

The Cars.com study did more than just rank vehicles — it also asked the public why they bought their vehicles. Out of the nearly 1,000 respondents to their survey, 53 percent of domestic vehicle buyers said they chose to buy American to support the economy.

As production of Japanese vehicles on U.S. soil rises, more than two-thirds of U.S. autoworkers are still employed by Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Still, only 13 percent of respondents said they would only consider a domestic brand when buying a new vehicle, compared to 28 percent last year.

[Image: Toyota Motor Corporation]