- This year’s most-American made vehicles are the Tesla Model 3 and Y.
- The EVs were closely followed by the Jeep Gladiator and Grand Cherokee.
- Foreign automakers took 65% of the 86 spots in this year’s study.
In an era of tariffs and trade wars, the importance of being American-made is a big deal. However, many of the most American vehicles are actually made by foreign automakers.
According to Cars.com’s latest American-Made Index, 12 of the top 20 vehicles aren’t from American automakers. In fact, of the 86 vehicles that made the list, 14 were from Toyota and 13 were from Honda.
More: EVs Sweep The Top Spots On The Most American-Made Car List
To put those numbers into perspective, GM took 13 spots while Ford only grabbed nine. Stellantis was far behind at six, which is hardly surprising given a reliance on Canadian and Mexican production.
Without further ado, Tesla grabbed the top two spots thanks to the Model 3 and Model Y, which are both built in Fremont, California. They were followed by Midwesterners in the form of the Jeep Gladiator and Grand Cherokee.
Things then take a decisive turn as the next seven spots are claimed by foreign automakers. The Alabama-made Ridgeline and Odyssey came in fifth and sixth place, while the Lexus TX 350 placed seventh. They were followed by the Honda Accord, Acura MDX, Honda Passport, and Toyota Camry.
Top 20 Most American-Made Vehicles In 2026
Ford finally shows up in eleventh place with the Lincoln Navigator. It’s followed by the Expedition, Aviator, and Explorer.
GM doesn’t make an appearance until the 25th spot, which goes to the GMC Canyon. The similar Chevrolet Colorado follows at 30, while the Corvette lands at 35. Other GM models making the list include the Suburban, Escalade, Tahoe, Yukon, Traverse, Enclave, Acadia, Lyriq, Sierra 1500, and Silverado 1500.
Interestingly, the Cadillac Lyriq is ‘less American’ than a number of other luxury vehicles including the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, and Infiniti QX60. The EV is also beaten by the Acura MDX and an assortment of other BMWs that hail from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Tariffs Appear To Be Working
The study looked at 379 vehicles this year and ranked them based on five key factors including final assembly location and the percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts. They also considered the origin of engines and transmissions as well as the U.S. manufacturing workforce.
One thing worth keeping in mind, the index only ranks mass-produced, light-duty passenger vehicles, which explains a few notable absences. Anything with a gross vehicle weight rating above 8,500 pounds is disqualified, so the Tesla Cybertruck and other heavy-duty haulers sit this one out no matter where they’re built.
Getting back to tariffs, it appears they’re having an impact as the study found a number of models have increased domestic parts content. This includes the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which jumped 66 spots as its U.S. and Canadian parts content soared 14%.
Another example is the aforementioned Lexus TX 350. It moved up 34 places thanks to an engine and transmission that are now made in America.
It’s also interesting to note the death of slow-selling EVs has eliminated a number of high ranking American-made models. This includes the Tesla Model S and X as well as the Volkswagen ID.4. The latter model was made in Chattanooga, Tennessee and it will eventually return as an import.
Cars.com’s Patrick Masterson said, “Nearly two-thirds of this year’s list was produced by foreign automakers” and this “often surprises consumers, but this goes to show just how complex modern automotive manufacturing really is.”
A note on the count: Cars.com’s official ranking covers 86 core nameplates, but its full published list breaks out variants, like the Navigator L, Escalade ESV, and several Mercedes GLE and BMW M trims, as separate entries, bringing the complete table to 100.
2026 American-Made Index: All 100 Models, Ranked
Source: Cars.com
