Tesla Takes Top Four Spots in American-Made Index

This year’s annual American-Made Index from Cars.com saw the Tesla Model 3 rise to the top of the list, followed by the rest of the Tesla lineup. Last year’s winner was the Model Y so this is getting to be old hat for the brand. However, the big surprise was what company didn’t have a vehicle in the top 20.

The Tesla Model 3 jumped from fourth last year to first this year, surpassing the Model Y, which had held the top spot for three straight years. After the Model 3 and Model Y came the Models S and X. The Jeep Gladiator, which didn’t even make the top 10 last year finished in the fifth spot.

Now in its 20th year, the American-Made Index ranks current-year vehicles that contribute most significantly to the U.S. economy. The 2025 list was developed after evaluating more than 400 vehicles, using criteria such as U.S. factory jobs, manufacturing locations, and parts sourcing.

Big impact

This year’s results come amid growing consumer interest in domestic manufacturing and renewed policy discussions around tariffs, adding even more relevance to what it means for a vehicle to be “American-made,” according to the website.

“As import tariffs shake up the auto industry and influence consumer priorities, our 2025 American-Made Index offers a timely snapshot of which vehicles and automakers are truly driving U.S. economic impact,” said Patrick Masterson, lead researcher for Cars.com’s American-Made Index.

“Tesla continues to lead, claiming the top four spots and showcasing its commitment to domestic production. About 25% of the more than 400 vehicles on sale in the U.S. made this year’s AMI, and whether a vehicle is No. 1 or No. 99, it contributes to the U.S. economy.”

Surprising result

The top 20 list featured four Tesla Models, two Jeeps, and a Chevrolet, but it was foreign nameplates that carried the list. While Tesla carried the top four spots, it was Honda that dominated the list with five Hondas and two Acuras in the top 20.

One name was conspicuously missing, given its recent efforts to claim its American-ness: Ford. The company’s been pushing the narrative that it’s the most American automaker, mostly because of the number of people it employs in the U.S.

In fact, it launched a new advertising campaign over the weekend touting its hourly workforce of 56,500, which it says is more than any other automaker. It also claims “Our employees assemble more vehicles in America than any other automaker. And 80% of the vehicles we sell in America are assembled here.”

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More American?

The ads go a step further insinuating General Motors and Stellantis (then Fiat Chrysler) should have done what Ford did and refused a “taxypayer-funded bailout during the Great Recession.”

“Some of our competitors have taken a different path. If others matched Ford’s commitment to America, there would be as many as 15 more vehicle assembly plants across the country, assembling up to 4 million additional vehicles in the U.S. each year. And that would mean hundreds of thousands of new American jobs,” according to the ads.

The new campaign continues Ford’s efforts to position itself atop the American automakers. It began offering employee pricing for everyone when buying a new vehicle in early April. Initially set to run through May2, Ford extended the employee pricing promotion, dubbed “From America For America,” to run through the July 4^th holiday weekend.

However, the company did announce plans to raise prices on the Ford Maverick, Ford Bronco Sport and Ford Mustang Mach-E, which are all produced in Mexico. Prices were expected to rise about $2,000 per vehicle.

“It is important to note that these competitive pricing actions do not impact Ford vehicles at dealers or on their way to dealers,” Ford spokesman Said Deep said in an e-mail to Headlight.News.