The most 'American' truck isn’t made by Detroit’s Big Three

This "import" brand topped the likes of Stellantis, GM and Ford when it comes to being American-made.

Jun 21, 2024 - 03:30

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The most 'American' truck isn’t made by Detroit’s Big Three

Pickup trucks are undeniably one of the vehicular symbols of the United States of America.

Whether their owners are tradespeople, contractors, off-road enthusiasts, or a person who needs to haul large goods or a family, the pickup truck's size, physical presence, and capability make it a worthy vehicle for many Americans.

According to a report by Kelly Blue Book, three of the best-selling cars in 2023 were pickup trucks: Ford's (F) F-Series, General Motors (GM) Chevrolet Silverado and Stellantis' (STLA) Ram Pickup line.

Though these vehicles build themselves as a valid symbol of American ingenuity and craft, a new report suggests that a truck from an 'import brand' is actually a more true made-in-the-USA vehicle than anything (supposedly) from Detroit.

Dodge Ram pickup trucks sit on display at Sam Leman Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep in Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Bloomberg/Getty Images

According to the newest edition of Cars.com's American-made Index, the pickup truck that is the most American-made does not bear the badges of Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, or Ram.

Believe it or not, the index's creators deem that the most American-made truck is the Ridgeline, the four-door pickup truck offered by Japanese automaker Honda. (HMC)

Though Honda is a Japanese company, Cars.com looks at different factors when determining the "American-ness" of a particular car, as it goes way beyond companies claiming Detroit or any other city or region in the States as their hometown, or a vehicle being built in a factory within the United States.

Instead, they look at five categories: the parts content, the origin of the car's engine and transmission, the location where the car was assembled, and the number of American hands involved in the manufacturing process.

Honda builds the Ridgeline and its engine at its facility in Lincoln, Alabama. It also produces other Honda bestsellers, such as the Pilot SUV, the Passport crossover SUV, and the Odyssey minivan, which all rank within the top 20 American-made cars.

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A Jeep Gladiator Rubicon runs the Jeep Track at the North American International Auto Show, at the Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan.
Anadolu/Getty Images

Detroit's finest, however, are in wildly different places across the list.

Stellantis's Jeep has the highest ranking of all American brands, with its Wrangler-based Gladiator pickup behind the Ridgeline in eighth place. The conglomerate's budget-friendly Ram 1500 Classic pops in at number 19, while the current-generation Ram 1500 comes in at 43rd place, as 32% of the truck's content, including its engine, is made in Mexico.

The best-selling car in the United States, the gas-powered Ford F-150, is ranked 58th on the list, two spots below its EV counterpart , the Ford F-150 Lightning, at 56. Ford's more compact pickups, the Maverick hybrid and the Ranger, were not ranked on the list. The Ranger is built at Ford's facility in Wayne, Michigan, but the $23,920 Maverick is built in Hermosillo, Mexico.

For GM, the Wentzville, Missouri-built Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon rank 23rd and 24th on the list, respectively, as 19% of its parts come from Mexico. In comparison, the full-size Chevy Silverado and its GMC twin, the Sierra trail far behind at 89 and 90, respectively, due to 36% of its parts originating from Mexico.

Cars.com evaluated 401 cars for the 2024 Cars.com American-Made Index, and the list it has published reflects the top 100 cars that the site has evaluated.