Cars and Drivers

These Are the Trucks to Buy If You Want a True American Pickup

Javier Simon

Published: August 20, 2024 11:00 am

With headlines of a volatile and uncertain American economy, many citizens have never felt a stronger urge to buy American.

And one of the most crucial components of the country’s economy is the American auto industry. One of the industry’s most popular and highest selling vehicles are pickup trucks.

But if you really want an All-American pickup, you’d want to look at factors like where it was made and where its parts came from. One study analyzed this and more to find the most American cars including pickup trucks.

So let’s go for a ride and explore these trucks that run on red, white, and blue.

24/7 Wall St. Key Insights

• Many Americans want to buy American-made products to support their country’s economy.
• Determining if something is American made goes beyond where the finished product was produced.
• Many auto car companies pay dividends to their stockholders. Dividends can turbo charge your portfolio. To learn more about the benefits of dividends, check out our free analysis: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever.

Methodology

To devise our list of the most American pick-up trucks, we explored the 2024 Cars.com American-Made Index. This study ranks 100 vehicles based on assembly location, along with the origins of their parts, engines, and transmission. It also considers the U.S. manufacturing workforce that went into building these vehicles.

We took this analysis and filtered out the most American made pickup trucks. Key highlights and specs were gathered from the report.

Ford F-150 Lightning

• Starts at: $54,995

The Ford F-150 Lightning is the automaker’s flagship EV. But it maintains the ruggedness and reliability of the All-American F-150. In fact, it outranked the original F-150 on the American-made index. And it’s taking the EV market by storm. Here are some key highlights.

• 66 – 70
  Combined MPGe
• 240 – 320 mi. Range
• 10 – 13 hrs. Level 2 Charging

2024 RAM 1500

• Starts at: $39,420

The RAM 1500 is as tough as it comes. It boasts 7,760 lb maximum trailering capacity and can seat up to six people. Plus, the 2025 Ram 1500 is on its way. Here are some specs.

• Gas/Electric V-6
  Engine
• 305 hp 395 hp
• 20 City / 25 Hwy
  MPG

Hyundai Santa Cruz

• Starts at: $26,900

The sleek and futuristic Hyundai Santa Cruz cracked the top 40 list of American made cars. And consumers on Cars.com gave it a 5-star rating and praised the pickup for its comfort and reliability. Here are some specs.

• Regular Unleaded I-4 engine
• 191 hp
• 22 City / 26 Hwy MPG

Toyota Tundra Hybrid

• Starts at: $57,625

The Toyota Tundra Hybrid is a beast to be reckoned with. It features a 3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 i-FORCE MAX Hybrid engine, which joins the forces of a gasoline engine with electric motors to generate 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. Here’s what to know.

• 437 hp
• 19 – 22 Combined MPGe
• 1 kWh Battery Capacity

GMC Canyon Pickup Truck

• Starts at: $36,300

The GMC Canyon is a beast on the road with a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. And its four-cylinder engine produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. You can set it to rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. Here are some highlights.

• Turbocharged Gas I4
  Engine
• 19 City / 23 Hwy
  MPG
• 5 Seating Capacity

2024 Chevrolet Colorado

• Starts at: $29,800

An All-American list won’t be complete without a Chevy. The rugged Colorado made the top 25 list of All-American made cars. Like all Colorados, it runs exclusively on a turbocharged 2.7-liter, inline-four engine and an eight-speed automatic. Here’s the scoop.

• 237 hp 310 hp
• 20 City / 25 Hwy MPG
• 5 Seating Capacity

Toyota Tundra

• Starts at: $39,965

The 2024 gas-powered Toyota Tundra beat its electric counterpart on the American-made index, taking the No. 20 spot. Here are some key facts.

• Twin Turbo Regular Unleaded V-6
  Engine
• 358 Horsepower
• 18 City / 24 Hwy
  MPG

RAM 1500 Classic

• Starts at: $38,705

The classic RAM 1500 is an All-American favorite. Its standard engine is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 which pulls in 305 horsepower and 296 lb-ft of torque. Here are some key notes.

• Optional 395 horsepower engine
• 17 City / 25 Hwy
  MPG
• 6 Seating Capacity

2024 Jeep Gladiator

• Starts at: $37,895

The rugged all-terrain Jeep Gladiator crushed the competition to make it to the top 10 in the American-made index. The Gladiator is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 that generates 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Here’s what to know about this beast.

• 17 City / 22 Hwy MPG
• 5 Seating Capacity
• 6,850 lbs Gross Axle Weight Rating

2024 Honda Ridgeline

• Starts at: $39,750

So what’s the most American-made pickup truck on the road today? That title goes to the 2024 Honda Ridgeline. Customers on Cars.com gave it five stars for comfort and reliability, as well as 4 stars for performance. It can tow up to 5,000 pounds. And with its 280 horsepower V6, it landed on No. 6 in the American-made index. Here are some more highlights.

• Regular Unleaded V-6 engine
• 18 City / 24 Hwy MPG
• 5 Seating Capacity

Why we covered this

Amid fears of recessions and other uncertainties, many Americans want to support the American workforce and domestic business as best they can. One of the most vital components of the American economy is its auto industry. In fact, 4.4 million people or about 1.7% of the U.S. workforce are employed by the auto industry, which contributes 3% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). And trucks are a high-selling vehicle in the U.S. So we dug deep to find the top 10 most American trucks.