Four of the Top 10 American-Made Cars are Hondas
It may seem strange that a Japanese automaker could be credited for making the most American cars, yet the data doesn’t lie. According to the Cars.com 2021 American-Made Index, Honda has four models in the top 10 most American-made vehicles, more than any automaker — and one more than it had a year ago.
Additionally, seven Honda and Acura models are featured in the top 20. In order, the four Hondas in the top 10 are the Ridgeline pickup truck, Odyssey minivan, Pilot SUV, and Passport SUV. They were ranked 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th, respectively. Meanwhile, the Acura RDX crossover, TLX sports sedan, and Honda Accord sedan were ranked 12th, 13th, and 17th.
Closer Look: 2021 Honda Ridgeline – the specs and features
To determine how much of a car can be considered American, Cars.com analyzes the location of assembly, the country of origin for standard and optional engines and transmissions, the percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts, and how many U.S. manufacturing employees the company has relative to the number of cars it sells in the country.
All four of Honda’s top-ranking models were designed by Honda engineers in the U.S. and assembled at its plant in Lincoln, Alabama, which recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary. The same plant builds their engines, while the transmissions are made in Tallapoosa, Georgia.
Road Trip Tip: How to keep the kids quiet
Though Honda cars rank high in the 2021 American-Made Index, it would be misleading to say they put Honda, as a brand, at the very top. According to Cars.com, Tesla is the only major automaker that domestically produces 100 percent of the vehicles it sells in the United States. Ford ranks second at about 85 percent, with the Stellantis group third at 71 percent.
Honda is fourth at 65 percent, the highest-ranked non-American brand. It’s also notable for being listed ahead of General Motors, an actual American brand. (Bad news for die-hard patriot GM fans: the Chevy Camaro muscle car is made in Canada and Buick SUVs are primarily made in China or South Korea).
So next time you meet someone who says they only buy American because they want to support American manufacturing, point them toward the Honda Ridgeline, Odyssey, Pilot, or Passport.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.