(June 27, 2011) CHICAGO (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.

* 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