Cars.com 2018 Index Ranks Illinois-Built Jeep Cherokee as the Most USA-Made Vehicle

Cars.com released its 2018 American-Made Index on June 21, 2018, ranking the Jeep Cherokee, built in Belvidere, Illinois, as the vehicle with the greatest impact on the USA economy.

The index scores USA-assembled vehicles on five factors: assembly location, domestic-parts content, USA factory employment, engine sourcing and transmission sourcing. Cars.com said it analyzed more than 100 USA-built vehicles to pick the top 10.

The 2018 top 10

• 1. Jeep Cherokee (Belvidere, Ill.)
• 2. Honda Odyssey (Lincoln, Ala.)
• 3. Honda Ridgeline (Lincoln, Ala.)
• 4. Ford Taurus (Chicago)
• 5. Chevrolet Volt (Detroit)
• 6. Honda Pilot (Lincoln, Ala.)
• 7. Acura MDX, excluding the Sport Hybrid (East Liberty, Ohio)
• 8. Ford Explorer (Chicago)
• 9. Ford F-150 (Claycomo, Mo., and Dearborn, Mich.)
• 10. Chevrolet Corvette (Bowling Green, Ky.)

Foreign brands, USA content

Four of the top 10 came from a foreign-based automaker. The Cherokee moved up one spot from 2017; Cars.com noted that Jeep belongs to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, headquartered in London, but credited the SUV’s domestic parts, USA-made engines and transmissions, and FCA’s USA factory workforce. The Volt was the first plug-in ever to make the index, helped by a battery pack assembled near Detroit with cells from western Michigan.

A Cars.com survey of more than 1,000 people found that 66 percent check where a car is built or where its automaker is based before buying, and 28 percent would only consider an American manufacturer.

A year later, the 2019 index again put the Cherokee first.

FAQ

Which vehicle topped the 2018 index?

The Jeep Cherokee, built in Belvidere, Illinois.

What does the index measure?

Assembly location, domestic-parts content, USA factory employment, and engine and transmission sourcing.

How many top-10 vehicles came from foreign-based automakers?

Four: the Honda Odyssey, Ridgeline and Pilot, and the Acura MDX.