CHICAGO, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com announced
today that the Toyota Camry once again took the top spot in the
site's annual American Made Index. This is the third
consecutive year the Camry has held this position, despite many
newcomers to the list including the Ford Explorer, the Chevrolet
Traverse and the GMC Acadia. The Camry, which is assembled in
Georgetown, Ky. and Lafayette, Ind., is followed by the Honda
Accord and the Chevy Malibu, which rank No. 2 and No. 3
respectively.
Cars.com's annual American-Made Index ranks the most-American
vehicles based on percentage of their parts that are made
domestically, where they are assembled and how many are sold to
U.S. buyers.
"In today's global economy, there's not an easy way to determine
just how American a car is," said Patrick
Olsen, Cars.com editor in chief. "Most cars built in
the U.S., for example, are assembled using at least some parts that
come from somewhere else. Additionally, many U.S. automakers
assemble vehicles in Canada and
Mexico, while foreign automakers
have opened plants on U.S. soil. Our index is another
resource that car buyers can use to help guide their purchase
decision."
In addition to grabbing the No. 1 rank, Toyota also has the
Tundra (No. 9) and the Sienna (No. 6)on the list, matching General
Motors, which also has three cars on the list for the first time
since 2009, including the Chevy Malibu (No. 3), the Chevy Traverse
(No. 8) and the GMC Acadia (No. 10). Honda held two spots in the
top 10, while Ford and Chrysler each held one.
"Despite the disaster in Japan,
and General Motors usurping Toyota as the world's largest
automaker, we're not surprised to see the Camry in the number one
position again," said Olsen. "The Camry remains an incredibly
popular vehicle, and higher total sales require a higher number of
U.S. factory workers and a larger number of U.S. suppliers – all of
which contribute to Toyota's ranking."
The Ford Explorer makes its debut on the list this year (at No.
4), thanks to its 85% domestic parts content and its Chicago-area assembly plant. Chrysler,
which had two models in last year's ranking, is back this year with
only one, the Ohio-built Jeep
Wrangler.
|
|
Rank
|
Make/Model
|
U.S. Assembly
Location(s)*
|
Rank in July 2010
|
|
1.
|
Toyota Camry
|
Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette,
Ind.
|
1
|
|
2.
|
Honda Accord
|
Marysville, Ohio; Lincoln,
Ala.
|
2
|
|
3.
|
Chevrolet Malibu
|
Kansas City, Kan.
|
5
|
|
4.
|
Ford Explorer
|
Chicago, Ill.
|
-
|
|
5.
|
Honda Odyssey
|
Lincoln, Ala.
|
6
|
|
6.
|
Toyota Sienna
|
Princeton, Ind.
|
10
|
|
7.
|
Jeep Wrangler
|
Toledo, Ohio
|
9
|
|
8.
|
Chevrolet Traverse
|
Lansing, Mich.
|
-
|
|
9.
|
Toyota Tundra
|
San Antonio, Tex.
|
8
|
|
10.
|
GMC Acadia
|
Lansing, Mich.
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Excludes hybrid variants. The Camry excludes the related
Venza; the Accord excludes the related Crosstour.
Sources: Automaker data, Automotive News, dealership
data, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
About the American-Made Index
The Cars.com American-Made Index is an annual ranking of
vehicles deemed most American based on American production,
percentage of domestic parts and American sales volume.
Domestic-parts content is based on data that appears alongside
the window sticker of new cars as a result of the American
Automobile Labeling Act, enacted in 1994. The AALA mandates that
virtually every new car display the percentage, by cost, of its
parts that originated in the U.S. and Canada. Only those vehicles with a
domestic-parts content rating of 75 percent or higher are eligible
for the American-Made Index.
For more information about the American-Made Index, visit
Cars.com.
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers,
offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers
and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where
to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive
pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo
galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection
of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car
buyers in control of their shopping process with the information
they need to make confident buying decisions.
Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is
a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading
media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc.
(NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and
The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com