American-Made Index 2026: How American Is Your Car?

The Cars.com American-Made Index has few surprises for the 2026 model year — at least, if you’ve seen it or heard about it before. The automotive industry is about as global as an industry can get, and economic evolution further blurs international boundaries. 

This year, the top two vehicles — a car and an SUV — are from Tesla, the same American brand that previously held the top four spots on the list, but discontinued two of its vehicles this year. From there, the list shifts to reflect vehicles from global brands that have invested heavily in U.S. manufacturing. Here’s how the index works, followed by our insight on different vehicles’ rankings.

How the Cars.com American-Made Index Works

The American-Made Index, now in its 21st year, has used the same methodology since 2020. The Cars.com editorial team looks at the full list of vehicles on sale in the United States, nearly 400, to find the candidates that have final assembly in the U.S. From there, each vehicle’s score is comprised by its percentage of parts from the U.S. and Canada, countries of origin for its available powertrains, countries of origin for its available transmissions, and the U.S. manufacturing workforce. However, Cars.com does not publish the exact methodology used.

Other exclusions apply, which keep the list focused on vehicles most relevant to consumers. Heavy-duty pickup trucks and other vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 8,500 pounds are excluded. Meanwhile, vehicles like the Lucid Air and Rivian R1S do not meet the sales threshold of 2,500 units in the first quarter of the year.

Traditionally, Cars.com cut off the list at the top 99 vehicles, even if more were made in America; this year, the list includes just 86 vehicles. While three new vehicles joined the list (the Subaru Forester, Subaru Forester Hybrid, and Lexus TX 500h), 17 were dropped because they were discontinued (such as the Tesla Model S and Model X) or skipped a model year (such as the Kia Telluride). It’s worth noting that only vehicles available for sale during the study’s time frame, spring 2026, are eligible for inclusion.

Does The American-Made Index Matter?

Yes, and data confirms it. The Cars.com report accompanying the index shows that 45% of survey respondents say they are concerned about tariffs when shopping for a new vehicle, and 42% say they are more likely to buy an American-made vehicle because of tariffs. However, that 42% figure is down from last year; in 2025, 51% of survey respondents indicated an increased desire to buy an American-made vehicle as a result of tariffs. Another survey question gauged respondents’ loyalty to a particular brand. It turns out brand loyalty is on the decline, which the Cars.com team attributes to an overall increased interest in American-built vehicles.

In 2025, 55% of survey respondents said they’d be willing to pay more for a new vehicle if it contributed to more jobs in the U.S. For 2026, this number increased to 57%, with 31% of respondents saying they’d pay up to 20% more.

The Most American Cars Are…

The Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, and Jeep Grand Cherokee are the most American vehicles in 2026 (note that the Jeep Gladiator comes in at #3, just ahead of the Grand Cherokee, but we cover that over at Pickup Truck + SUV Talk). Honda, Acura, Toyota, and Lexus also make strong showings in the top 10 with a mix of cars and SUVs assembled primarily in the Midwest and South.

Shoppers may be surprised to learn that several “American” vehicles are built in other countries. In particular, the Ford Bronco Sport and GMC Terrain are outsourced to assembly plants in Mexico, the Dodge Charger is built just over the border from Detroit in Canada, and the Buick Encore GX and Chevy Trailblazer are shipped from South Korea.

Other insights of note: the Jeep Grand Cherokee achieved the biggest gain from 2025 to 2026, moving up 66 spots from #70 to #4. Meanwhile, the Kia Sportage experienced the biggest year-over-year drop, from #57 to #17. However, as the editorial team at Cars.com notes, every vehicle on the list is significant, since inclusion on the list indicates some component of the vehicle passes through final assembly at a factory on U.S. soil.

Here are the top 10 vehicles (minus pickup trucks) on this year’s American-Made Index:

Our Take On The American-Made Index

The cost of many new vehicles has increased due to numerous factors, from tariffs (or the ongoing threat of such) to fuel and shipping costs. Vehicles built in the United States may be somewhat insulated from some of these costs, but not completely. For example, tariffs and shipping costs will increase the cost of everything on the vehicle, no matter where the vehicle itself is assembled. Automakers are paying more for common standalone parts like tires and windows, as well as bigger components, like engine and transmission assemblies. 

Consider, too, that even the most American-made vehicles, like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, depend on resources like rare earth magnets, scarce chemical elements such as cobalt or platinum, and other components that primarily come from overseas — and that are expensive to mine and transport. Tesla and some other automakers have invested in battery technology that depends less on these finite resources, but even then, investments in research and manufacturing contribute to the cost of a vehicle. Cars.com editor Patrick Masterson notes that the index’s research team observed a higher domestic parts content for many vehicles on the list, which indicates a pivot in supply chains to bring more production to U.S. facilities.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the index, which we regard as valuable insight to the global nature of our industry, where our vehicles come from, and how to understand what you see on a new car’s window sticker, particularly in terms of pricing. The whole list is well worth a look, so check it out before you go shopping for your next new car. If you’re looking for insight on the most American-made trucks, check out our American-Made Index overview at Pickup Truck + SUV Talk.