Special Report

50 Most American Cars

Classic Muscle Car
Thinkstock
Despite the general decline of the manufacturing sector in recent decades, auto manufacturing is one of the largest industries in America. While domestic auto production has decreased by 34% in the last 20 years, the industry still accounts for one in every 22 U.S. jobs. Each vehicle sold in the U.S. market contributes to the U.S. economy in varying degrees. The more a vehicle is designed, sourced, and built in the U.S., the more it contributes to the economy.

A vehicle is made of many components, including the engine, transmission, body, and interior. Some of the components are produced in the United States and some are foreign-made. Similarly, production and assembly locations can vary from American auto plants to factories abroad. To find which car contributes most to the U.S.economy, 24.7 Wall St. reviewed the 2016 Kogod Made in America Auto Index, an annual report released by the American University Kogod School of Business.

Using seven criteria, the index estimates a car’s contribution to the U.S. economy by measuring the share of a car’s total production that is domestic in origin. The criteria include the source countries of the vehicle’s parts, where it is produced and assembled, as well as the country of origin for a car’s research and development. Three cars tie for first place as the vehicles that have the greatest positive impact on the U.S. economy. The Buick Enclave, the Chevrolet Traverse, and the GMC Acadia are the most American in origin. Roughly 90% of the cars’ research, parts, and assembly are domestic. Therefore, they have the largest positive impact on the American economy.

Click here to see the most American cars

Across the nation, some forms of manufacturing — most notably computers and electronics — have surged in recent years. Broadly speaking, however, the United States is increasingly seen as an unattractive base for manufacturing production. As a result, over the past half-century, U.S. manufacturing employment has fallen precipitously.

One of the largest factors determining how much of a car’s value stays in America is the source country of the vehicle’s parts. To provide customers with this information when buying a new vehicle, congress passed the American Automobile Labeling Act in 1994. Among other stipulations, this act required manufacturers to label the percentage of parts made in the United States or Canada. All of the 50 vehicles most influential to the U.S. economy have at least half of their parts sourced in the U.S. or Canada. No car is entirely made in America.

Certain manufacturers tend to have a larger impact on the economy than others. One in five cars in the top 50 is a Chevrolet, the most prevalent make of vehicle on the list. Notably, the second most prevalent manufacturer in the top 50 is Japanese company Toyota. While many of Toyota’s models are produced entirely outside of the United States, Toyota assembles six vehicles domestically with at least 65% of the parts sourced from the U.S. or Canada.

To identify the cars contributing the highest percentage of their value to the American economy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Kogod Made in America Auto Index from Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, D.C. 2015 sales figures came from car sales tracking site GoodCarBadCar.net. Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices are from the manufacturer’s website. 2015 sales figures are the total sales for the vehicle’s model and do not only reflect its specific trim level. Starting MSRPs are from the newest model year available on the manufacturer’s website. Excluding the Dodge Ram 2500, MSRP figures also reflect starting MSRP of the base model ignoring any trim levels. Because 2016 was the first model year for the Cadillac CT6, an annual sales figure is not available.

These are the cars with the highest percentages of their value going to the U.S. economy.

2016 toyota sequoia
toyota.com

50. Toyota Sequoia
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
73.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $44,965
> 2015 unit sales: 12,583
> Car type: Full-size SUV

2016 toyota tundra
toyota.com

49. Toyota Tundra
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
73.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $29,140
> 2015 unit sales: 118,880
> Car type: Full-size pickup truck

2016-acura-tlx
acura.com

48. Acura TLX
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
73.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $31,695
> 2015 unit sales: 47,080
> Car type: Mid-size luxury sedan

2016 acura mdx

47. Acura MDX
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
73.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $43,950
> 2015 unit sales: 58,208
> Car type: Mid-size luxury crossover SUV

2016_Dodge_Viper
Wikimedia Commons

46. Dodge Viper
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
73.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 73%
> Starting MSRP: $87,895
> 2015 unit sales: 676
> Car type: Sports car coupe

2015 dodge ram 2500
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juanelo242a/

45. Dodge Ram 2500 (2015)
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
74.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $31,780
> 2015 unit sales: 451,116
> Car type: Full-size pickup truck

2015_Tesla_Model_S_85D
Wikimedia Commons

44. Tesla Model S (2015)
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
75.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 50%
> Starting MSRP: $71,200
> 2015 unit sales: 26,400
> Car type: Full-size all-electric luxury sedan

2016_Jeep_Grand_Cherokee
Wikimedia Commons

43. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
75.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 62%
> Starting MSRP: $29,995
> 2015 unit sales: 195,958
> Car type: Mid-size luxury crossover SUV

2016-challenger-md-sxt-hero2
dodge.com

42. Dodge Challenger SXT
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
75.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 63%
> Starting MSRP: $26,995
> 2015 unit sales: 66,365
> Car type: Sports car coupe

2016 toyota avalon
toyota.com

41. Toyota Avalon
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $32,650
> 2015 unit sales: 60,063
> Car type: Full-size luxury sedan

2016 toyota highlander
toyota.com

40. Toyota Highlander
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $30,490
> 2015 unit sales: 158,915
> Car type: Mid-sized crossover SUV

2016 Acura_RDX
Wikimedia Commons

39. Acura RDX 2WD
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $35,370
> 2015 unit sales: 51,026
> Car type: Compact luxury crossover SUV

'16_Honda_Civic_Sedan
Wikimedia Commons

38. Honda Civic
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $18,640
> 2015 unit sales: 335,384
> Car type: Compact sedan

2016 honda crv
Honda of Burien

37. Honda CR-V
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $23,745
> 2015 unit sales: 345,647
> Car type: Compact crossover SUV

2016_Acura_RDX
Wikimedia Commons

36. Acura RDX AWD
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $35,370
> 2015 unit sales: 51,026
> Car type: Compact luxury crossover SUV

2016 lincoln navigator
Wikimedia Commons

35. Lincoln Navigator
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 52%
> Starting MSRP: $63,195
> 2015 unit sales: 11,964
> Car type: Full-size luxury SUV

2016_Lincoln_MKS
Wikimedia Commons

34. Lincoln MKS
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 52%
> Starting MSRP: $39,010
> 2015 unit sales: 6,877
> Car type: Full-size luxury sedan

'16_Chrysler_200
Wikimedia commons

33. Chrysler 200
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
76.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 64%
> Starting MSRP: $21,995
> 2015 unit sales: 177,889
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016_Ford_Expedition
Wikimedia Commons

32. Ford Expedition
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
77.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 55%
> Starting MSRP: $46,225
> 2015 unit sales: 41,443
> Car type: Full-size SUV

2016 toyota camry
toyota.com

31. Toyota Camry
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
78.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 75%
> Starting MSRP: $23,070
> 2015 unit sales: 429,355
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016 toyota sienna
toyota.com

30. Toyota Sienna
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
78.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 75%
> Starting MSRP: $28,850
> 2015 unit sales: 137,497
> Car type: Minivan

2016 honda odyssey
Honda of Burien youtube

29. Honda Odyssey
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
78.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 75%
> Starting MSRP: $29,400
> 2015 unit sales: 127,736
> Car type: Minivan

2016_Honda_Pilot
Wikimedia Commons

28. Honda Pilot
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
78.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 75%
> Starting MSRP: $30,145
> 2015 unit sales: 136,212
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

2016_Jeep_Cherokee
Wikimedia Commons

27. Jeep Cherokee
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
78.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 69%
> Starting MSRP: $23,395
> 2015 unit sales: 220,260
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

2016_Chevrolet_Camaro_Coupe
Wikimedia Commons

26. Chevrolet Camaro
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $25,700
> 2015 unit sales: 77,502
> Car type: Sports car coupe

2016_Cadillac_CTS
Wikimedia Commons

25. Cadillac CTS
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $45,560
> 2015 unit sales: 19,485
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2106 cadillac ct6
Wikimedia Commons

24. Cadillac CT6
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $53,495
> 2015 unit sales: N/A
> Car type: Full-size sedan

2016-cadillac-ats
cadillac.com

23. Cadillac ATS
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $33,215
> 2015 unit sales: 26,873
> Car type: Compact sedan

2016 Mustang
Wikimedia Commons

22. Ford Mustang
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $24,645
> 2015 unit sales: 122,349
> Car type: Sports car coupe

2016_Ford_Explorer
Wikimedia Commons

21. Ford Explorer
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 60%
> Starting MSRP: $31,160
> 2015 unit sales: 249,251
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

2016_Chevrolet_Colorado
Wikimedia Colorado

20. Chevrolet Colorado
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $20,100
> 2015 unit sales: 84,430
> Car type: Small pickup truck

Chevy Cruze Limited
chevrolet.com

19. Chevrolet Cruze LTD
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $16,620
> 2015 unit sales: 226,602
> Car type: Compact sedan

'16_GMC_Canyon
Wikimedia Commons

18. GMC Canyon
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $20,955
> 2015 unit sales: 30,077
> Car type: Small pickup truck

2016-buick-verano
buick.com

17. Buick Verano
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $21,065
> 2015 unit sales: 31,886
> Car type: Compact sedan

2016 taurus
ford.com

16. Ford Taurus
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 61%
> Starting MSRP: $27,110
> 2015 unit sales: 48,816
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016_Jeep_Wrangler_Unlimited_
Wikimedia Commons

15. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
80.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 73%
> Starting MSRP: $27,695
> 2015 unit sales: 202,702
> Car type: Off-road SUV

2016 accord
Wikimedia Commons

14. Honda Accord
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
81.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 80%
> Starting MSRP: $22,355
> 2015 unit sales: 355,557
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016 suburban
Wikimedia Commons

13. Chevrolet Tahoe
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $47,000
> 2015 unit sales: 88,342
> Car type: Full-size SUV

2016-buick-lacrosse
http://www.buick.com/previous-year/lacrosse-full-size-luxury-sedan.html

12. Buick LaCrosse
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $32,065
> 2015 unit sales: 42,035
> Car type: Full-size sedan

2016 Cadillac Escalade
Wikimedia Commons

11. Cadillac Escalade
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $72,970
> 2015 unit sales: 21,230
> Car type: Full-size SUV

2016-gmc-yukon
http://www.trucktrend.com/news/1506-2016-gmc-yukon-denali-get-minor-updates/

10. GMC Yukon, Yukon EXT
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $48,315
> 2015 unit sales: 42,732
> Car type: Full-size SUV

Malibu Limited
chevrolet.com

9. Chevrolet Malibu LTD
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $21,625
> 2015 unit sales: 194,854
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016 malibu E2 Gen
Wikimedia Commons

8. Chevrolet Malibu E2 Gen
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $21,625
> 2015 unit sales: 194,854
> Car type: Mid-size sedan

2016 Impala
Wikimedia Commons

7. Chevrolet Impala
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $27,300
> 2015 unit sales: 116,825
> Car type: Full-size sedan

Chevrolet Equinox
Wikimedia Commons

6. Chevrolet Equinox
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
82.5%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 65%
> Starting MSRP: $23,100
> 2015 unit sales: 277,589
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

Chevrolet Corvette
Wikimedia Commons

5. Chevrolet Corvette
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
83.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 66%
> Starting MSRP: $55,400
> 2015 unit sales: 33,329
> Car type: Sports car coupe

2016 Ford F-150 Limited
courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

4. Ford F150
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
85.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 70%
> Starting MSRP: $26,540
> 2015 unit sales: 780,354
> Car type: Full-size pickup truck

GMC Acadia
GMC.com

3. GMC Acadia
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
90.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 80%
> Starting MSRP: $29,070
> 2015 unit sales: 96,393
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

2016 Chevrolet Traverse
General Motors Co.

2. Chevrolet Traverse
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
90.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 80%
> Starting MSRP: $28,700
> 2015 unit sales: 119,945
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

2015-Buick-Enclave
buick.com

1. Buick Enclave
> Vehicle value benefitting U.S.:
90.0%
> Parts made in U.S. or Canada: 80%
> Starting MSRP: $39,065
> 2015 unit sales: 62,081
> Car type: Mid-size crossover SUV

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