(March 14, 2012) ATLANTA — Tax time means big refunds for some, and the availability of these extra funds often results in a boost for automotive shopping behavior in March and April. The average tax refund in 2011 was $2,913 — enough to put a 10 percent down payment on a new car worth almost $30,000.

According to a new survey conducted by AutoTrader.com, 56 percent of respondents are expecting a substantial refund in 2012. Additionally, the survey indicated that a substantial proportion of car shoppers have a desire to keep the money they spend on a car in the domestic economy; 39 percent said it was very important to buy a car that is actually built in the U.S., and 23 percent that said it is very important that the car be from a domestic automaker.

With shoppers' interest in buying domestic, the experts at AutoTrader.com recommended picks for "Eight Great American Cars to Spend a Tax Refund On."

With 18 percent of vehicle shoppers expecting a tax refund of $1,500 - $2,500 and 36 percent expecting a check for $2,500 or more, the experts kept all their picks between $15,000 and $25,000 (assuming a typical 10 percent down payment for vehicles). Most of these cars — with the exception of the Ford Fiesta and the Dodge Journey — benefit from being both made in the U.S.A. and made by an American automaker.

Expert Picks: Eight Great American Cars

    Buick Verano
    Chevrolet Sonic
    Ford Fiesta
    Ford Focus
    Ford Mustang
    Dodge Dart
    Dodge Journey
    Jeep Wrangler

Seventy-four percent of shoppers said they would consider buying a vehicle that was made by a domestic manufacturer and built in the U.S.  Additionally, 67 percent said they would consider a vehicle made by a foreign manufacturer if it was actually built in the U.S.

"With the great strides made by the domestic manufacturers in the last three years, it is no wonder that consumers are open to cars coming from the Big Three," said Rick Wainschel, vice president of automotive insights at AutoTrader.com. "Domestic manufacturing of new cars creates jobs in the U.S., so this interest is a great sign that the American economy could see a big boost from people spending their tax refunds on GM, Chrysler Group, and Ford models."