If you’re looking to “Buy American” then head to the nearest Tesla store because the Model 3 and Model Y are the most American vehicles money can buy in 2026, according to the 2026 Cars.com American-Made Index.
Now in its 21st year, the website culls together a list of the vehicles with the highest level of U.S.-produced components that are also built in the U.S. That’s an oversimplification of the methodology, but the top 20 vehicles on the list each year are considered the “most” American vehicles consumers can buy.
The Tesla Model 3 finished at the top of the list for the second consecutive year and for the third time since 2021. It’s crossover sibling, the Model Y is second for the second year in a row after taking the top spot in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Model 3 is produced at Tesla’s Fremont, California plant while the Model Y is built there and in Austin, Texas.
Another celebrated “American” brand captured the third and fourth spots respectively: the Jeep Gladiator is No. 3 while the Jeep Grand Cherokee finished fourth. After that, the list suddenly becomes very un-American looking, as its dominated Japanese- and South Korean-based brands.
However, Honda fares well with the Ridgeline (5), Odyssey (6), Accord (8), Passport (10) as well as its luxury siblings, the Acura MDX (9), RDX (16), and Integra (18) produced in Alabama and Ohio. Meanwhile, Toyota and Lexus take several spots, including the Lexus TX (7), Toyota Camry (11), Toyota Tundra (19), and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (20), at the top.
Another U.S. brand does appear in the top 20: Ford/Lincoln with the Lincoln Navigator (12), Ford Expedition (13), Lincoln Aviator (14), and Ford Explorer (15). The Kia EV9, which is built in West Point, Georgia occupies the 17th spot.
Cars.com uses five factors to cultivate the list each year, and while the site does tweak it from time to time, this year’s methodology is unchanged from 2025. We consider five major factors:
- Location(s) of final assembly
- Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts
- Countries of origin for all available engines
- Countries of origin for all available transmissions
- U.S. manufacturing workforce
Models are ranked on a100-point scale with vehicle curb weights used as tie breakers, according to the website. In all, 86 vehicles qualified as “American” out of 379 total vehicles examined.
[Images: Tesla, Cars.com, Jeep]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
via Autobuzz Today
Comments
Post a Comment