Toyota Camry regains top spot in Cars.com's 'most American' survey

(June 30, 2015) CHICAGO — Cars.com has released its annual list of the most American cars in the site’s American-Made Index. The Toyota Camry, which last claimed the top spot in 2012, regained the number one position for the fifth time.

The American-Made Index takes into account three key factors to determine how American cars are, including domestic-parts content (percentage of a vehicle’s parts considered to be domestic, meaning built in the U.S. or Canada), final assembly point, and overall vehicle sales.

“This year’s list of eligible cars is down to just seven, the smallest number we’ve ever seen,” said Cars.com Editor-in-Chief, Patrick Olsen. “Just five years ago, 29 cars qualified for the American-Made Index, and today it is fewer than 10.”

The Ford F-150, which claimed the top spot in 2013 and 2014, was not eligible as its domestic-parts content dropped below the allowable threshold in the all-new 2015 model. In 2014, the index leaned heavily toward foreign-based automakers, which made up 70 percent of the list. For 2015, that number has dropped to 48 percent.



“These results are a testament to Toyota’s continued investment and growth in the United States,” said Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz, who also serves as president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America “We are strengthening our commitments to American manufacturing so we can better satisfy the needs of our customers for decades to come.”

In a new survey conducted by Cars.com, data indicates that American consumers care more than ever about buying from domestic automakers. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they would only consider American automakers when shopping for a new car. That’s up from 23 percent in 2011. While options for truly “American” cars continue to shrink, Americans’ interest in buying cars that support the domestic economy is still of great interest.