The American automotive industry is undergoing a series of crises, including concerns about China's influence in the global automotive market and President Biden's legislation aimed at curbing inflation.
According to the latest American Manufacturing Index (AMI), only four of the top ten American cars are actually from American manufacturers. In contrast, there are five Japanese cars on the list, while Volkswagen is the only European manufacturer in the top ten.
Expanding the list reveals that 14 out of the top 20 American cars are from Japanese manufacturers. For the third consecutive year, Tesla has claimed the top spot with the Model Y. Also in the top ten are the Model S in fourth place and the Model X in ninth. The only other American manufacturer to make it to this category is Jeep, with the Gladiator ranked eighth. Meanwhile, Honda has matched Tesla by placing three of its models made in Alabama in the top ten.
The 2024 Honda Passport secured the second position, followed by the Odyssey and Ridgeline in fifth and sixth places, respectively. Toyota made a strong appearance with the Camry in seventh place, while its luxury brand Lexus took the tenth position with the TX model.
The study conducted by Cars.com serves as an important test for consumers who genuinely care about the amount of American components and labor that go into their domestically made cars. It considers five key criteria: assembly location, components, engine origin, transmission origin, and the manufacturing workforce in the United States.
This year, thanks to an increase in American and Canadian components, Volkswagen's ID.4 jumped to third place in the global ranking. In fact, the ID.4 is the only American car produced by a European manufacturer that appears on the list of the best 70 cars. Ford's Maverick, Bronco Sport, and Mustang Mach-E are classified as imports, as they are manufactured in Mexico.
At the same time, General Motors' Buick Encore GX and Envista are made further afield in South Korea. While most BMW X3s are manufactured in the United States, some may come from the brand's factory in South Africa.
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
