Cars.com Lists Most American Cars with Surprising Winner

Patriotism tends to get a big boost around Independence Day, and Americans everywhere are thinking more about their country when it comes to the vehicles they drive. To determine the "most American" cars, the annual American-Made Index report by Cars.com looks at a variety of factors for the top-selling vehicles. The report accounts for U.S. sales as well as where the cars are assembled, and brand doesn't have as much to do with how American a vehicle is as you might think.

The Toyota Camry has been the number one car on the index for the past four years, and the Japanese manufacturer has two other vehicles in the top 10 list – the Sienna and the Tundra. The Camry and Sienna are both assembled in Indiana, and the Tundra is built in Texas, which means the Japanese automaker has built plants and created jobs in America.

"For most car shoppers, how 'American' a vehicle is doesn't impact their final purchase," said Cars.com editor-in-chief Patrick Olsen. "However, according to a Cars.com survey we conducted in May, nearly 25 percent do prefer to buy American and nearly half of those people would be swayed to buy a foreign make if they knew it was assembled in the U.S. We do our index every year to make sure shoppers who do factor this into their purchase decision have the right information."

There were some American brands on the index, and General Motors had the highest showing with the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave all making the grade. The Jeep Liberty and Ford F-150 also came in as top-rated "American" cars.

If you're looking to get behind the wheel of a vehicle this Independence Day, you can head to New Jersey Auto Auction. The dealer has a variety of makes and models, from American brands to those based overseas and built on U.S. soil, so you can be sure to find a patriotic ride.