Study finds that Honda is more American-made than Chevrolet or Ford
Published on Jun 18, 2025 at 7:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jun 18, 2025 at 9:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
With tariffs on cars imported into America, US shoppers are being encouraged more than ever to buy patriotically – but do you really know which is the more American car brand out of Honda, Chevrolet, and Ford?
For the 20th year, Cars.com has produced its American-Made Index that takes five different factors into account to determine just how American your new car or truck might be.
There were more than 400 new cars and trucks to filter through this year; however, the rankings might surprise you.
Start your engines, we’re about to find out the most American car you can buy.
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The top spot went to the Tesla Model 3, a car that didn’t make the top 20 last year, with Tesla dominating the top five spots.
US assembly plants are an important factor, and Honda builds many of its vehicles in US factories, especially in Ohio and Alabama, with a long-standing production presence in America since the early 1980s.
Meanwhile, many Ford and Chevy models, like the Civic and CR-V, are assembled in Mexico or Canada, reducing their American-made score.
In addition, a high number of US parts boosts the domestic score
Honda models often contain a higher percentage of US and Canadian parts than many Ford or Chevy vehicles, with engines and transmissions sourced from within the US.
Both of these factors mean that Honda supports a large US manufacturing workforce.
Plus, what a Honda Civic engine looks like after 250,000 miles is a testament to its reliability.
EV compliance is also important, with Honda’s American-built models complying better with domestic content rules for tax credits, unlike some Ford or Chevy models that are sourced from abroad.
In fact, the Japanese brand scores higher across all five categories used: assembly location, parts, engine, transmission, and US workforce.
Ultimately, the Honda Ridgeline ranks 7th overall with several vehicles in the top 20, making it the second most American-made pickup, ahead of any Ford or Chevy truck.
Lower down the list, Chevrolet’s top entry, the Colorado, is 19th, and the F-150 Lightning – which has enjoyed glowing reviews – is Ford’s top entry in 22nd place.
The takeaway: forget what you thought you knew – Honda is the more American car
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
