Video: The 2017 American-Made Index
CARS.COM — For 2017, Cars.com has revamped its long-standing American-Made Index for the first time in the index’s 11-year history to really consider the domestic impact of a single buyer purchasing one model versus another.
Related: The 2017 American-Made Index
The latest AMI looks at five factors: assembly location, domestic content, engine sourcing, transmission sourcing and U.S. manufacturing jobs supported per vehicle. Cars.com analyzed more than 120 light-duty passenger vehicles built in the U.S. to arrive at the top 10. Here they are:
The Jeep Wrangler led the 2017 American-Made Index, with the Jeep Cherokee at No. 2. The Wrangler is built in Toledo, Ohio, and the Cherokee was also built there until a move to Belvidere, Ill., in April. The Chicago-built Ford Taurus is No. 3, while the Alabama-built Honda Ridgeline and Ohio-built Acura RDX are Nos. 4 and 5. The Ford F-150, built in Michigan and Missouri, is No. 6. The Kentucky-built Ford Expedition is No. 7, while the Tennessee-built GMC Acadia is No. 8. A pair of Alabama-built Hondas close out the list: the Odyssey and the Pilot.
The change in methodology means you can’t compare the current results to past AMIs, and there’s still no easy way to determine what makes an American car. Many factors exist, and no single one offers a complete answer. But our revamped index is more comprehensive than ever — and it gives consumers a better bearing on the economic impact of their purchase.
