Toyota Camry tops this year's Cars.com American-Made Index

[GMusa]

Toyota Camry tops this year's Cars.com American-Made Index



Cars.com has once again published its annual American-Made Index that rates vehicles built within the United States based on their sales and percentage of domestic parts content. This year's list has a number of movers and shakers based mainly on the fact that a troubled economy has torpedoed sales of some models and others are now ineligible because their parent brands are being canceled.

The Ford F-150 has lost its top ranking in the American-Made Index for the first time since Cars.com began producing the list back in 2006. The new No. 1 is – gasp – the Toyota Camry. Assembled in Georgetown, KY and Lafayette, IN, the Camry's upswing in domestic parts content helped it barely edge out the F-150, which has seen both its sales and domestic parts content fall year-over-year. Toyota, in fact, had four models make the American-Made Index this year including the Sienna, Tundra and first-timer Venza.

General Motors placed the Chevrolet Malibu, Silverado and GMC Sierra, while Ford had the aforementioned F-150, and list newcomer Ford Taurus, which enjoys the highest domestic parts content of 90 percent. No Chrysler vehicles made the top ten, although one Honda did: the Lincoln, AL Odyssey has an 80 percent domestic parts content rating and thus sewed up the #10 spot. You can view the full list after the jump and visit Cars.com to read more about how the index was produced.

[Source: Cars.com]


The Cars.com American-Made Index

1. Toyota Camry – Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette, Ind.
2. Ford F-150 – Dearborn, Mich.; Claycomo, Mo.
3. Chevrolet Malibu – Kansas City, Kan.
4. Honda Odyssey – Lincoln, Ala.
5. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – Fort Wayne, Ind.
6. Toyota Sienna – Princeton, Ind.
7. Toyota Tundra – San Antonio, TX
8. GMC Sierra 1500 – Fort Wayne, Ind.
9. Ford Taurus – Chicago
10. Toyota Venza – Georgetown, Ky.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/t...an-made-index/

[psece]

How did we get here.... Just sad...

['Vette Dude]

Malibu #3. Not bad. Shoulda beat the Camry though since it is made by and American car company.

[Buick61]

I don't like that it's sales weighted. How in the world does that have an impact on a car's "Americanness?"

If sales weren't a factor, cars like the Corvette and Viper would be, rightfully, high on this list. Even the Sebring and Avenger are very American.

[AMERICA 123]

More spin for Toyota.

Its a completely flawed methodology - among other things tries to massively misrepresent Canadian production as the same as Japanese in value when instead it logically counts as the 51st State.


*********


See, contrary to what a bunch of people wish were happening, retail buyers are not abandoning GM and Chrysler and are definitely gettin' behind Ford in a really good way.

The American people - or more accurately, 'enough' of the American people are doing this in part because Chrysler, GM, and Ford are American Companies -

Just a hunch, but you can 'feel' it out there.

[GMusa]

I dont get how the Silverado and Sierra can be on different parts of the list... its the same truck

['Vette Dude]

Originally Posted by GMusa

I dont get how the Silverado and Sierra can be on different parts of the list... its the same truck

It's also based of sales.

[XP300]

The numbers here don't add up. If this study is sales weighted, does it include all Camry's or just the ones made in America.

As I've said before, "Figures lie and liars figure".

[mbukukanyau]

Is Toyota paying someone for this. I do not trust Toyota at all.

[AMERICA 123]

Originally Posted by GMusa

I dont get how the Silverado and Sierra can be on different parts of the list... its the same truck

The Canadian content of each is - ???? - and that has to be determined in terms of USA final assembly only - I think.

Its a total sham.

They use Canadian 'production' 'against' the domestics.

They do this every year - what was it ... within the last two years or so they released it on Memorial Day or Pearl Harbor Day or something like that - we had a thread with one of their guys here.

Notice -

What Are the Top American-Made Cars?

Cars.com's American-Made Index rates vehicles built and bought in the U.S.

Factors include sales, where the car's parts are made and whether the car is assembled in the U.S.

Models that have been discontinued are disqualified, as are those with a domestic-parts content rating below 75 percent.

So amongst other things, I believe Canadian final assembly kicks you out of consideration or else effectively heavily penalizes you.

Its in how they construct their sham method. - they want to get around the unique Canadian / American automotive relationship - which of course would mean all Domestic choices even with their incomplete method.

Notice, all selections listed have an American final assembly plant showing .

Basically you got four ways to do this list.

Three of the four would correctly place our Domestics all in front.

Guess which method they 'picked'.

I steer people away from Cars.com and I encourage all the rest of you to do the same.

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by psece

How did we get here....

Step by step.

[emh]

Originally Posted by Buick61

I don't like that it's sales weighted. How in the world does that have an impact on a car's "Americanness?"

If sales weren't a factor, cars like the Corvette and Viper would be, rightfully, high on this list. Even the Sebring and Avenger are very American.

Agreed, the sales weighting makes this utterly meaningless.

[cdp326]

I didn't realize they weigh it with sales. I was wondering where the Cobalt went and the sales weighting explains why the Ford Explorer fell off (IIRC it was on it in years past). And it explains why the Aura isn't on there with the Malibu (I mean, same: platform, powertrains, mechanicals, parts, manufacturing plant...)

['Vette Dude]

Originally Posted by emh

Agreed, the sales weighting makes this utterly meaningless.

Exactly. CDP326 has a perfect example below:

Originally Posted by cdp326

I didn't realize they weigh it with sales. I was wondering where the Cobalt went and the sales weighting explains why the Ford Explorer fell off (IIRC it was on it in years past). And it explains why the Aura isn't on there with the Malibu (I mean, same: platform, powertrains, mechanicals, parts, manufacturing plant...)

[1G6]

What a crock, but what else can you expect - cars.com is a tool of the Japan-loving newspaper industry.

Things will only get worse as a wounded Toyota continues to call in its favors in the coming months.