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CHICAGO, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com announced today that the Toyota Camry once again took the top spot in the site's annual American Made Index.  This is the third consecutive year the Camry has held this position, despite many newcomers to the list including the Ford Explorer, the Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia.  The Camry, which is assembled in Georgetown, Ky. and Lafayette, Ind., is followed by the Honda Accord and the Chevy Malibu, which rank No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

Cars.com's annual American-Made Index ranks the most-American vehicles based on percentage of their parts that are made domestically, where they are assembled and how many are sold to U.S. buyers.

"In today's global economy, there's not an easy way to determine just how American a car is," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor in chief.  "Most cars built in the U.S., for example, are assembled using at least some parts that come from somewhere else. Additionally, many U.S. automakers assemble vehicles in Canada and Mexico, while foreign automakers have opened plants on U.S. soil.  Our index is another resource that car buyers can use to help guide their purchase decision."

In addition to grabbing the No. 1 rank, Toyota also has the Tundra (No. 9) and the Sienna (No. 6)on the list, matching General Motors, which also has three cars on the list for the first time since 2009, including the Chevy Malibu (No. 3), the Chevy Traverse (No. 8) and the GMC Acadia (No. 10). Honda held two spots in the top 10, while Ford and Chrysler each held one.

"Despite the disaster in Japan, and General Motors usurping Toyota as the world's largest automaker, we're not surprised to see the Camry in the number one position again," said Olsen.  "The Camry remains an incredibly popular vehicle, and higher total sales require a higher number of U.S. factory workers and a larger number of U.S. suppliers – all of which contribute to Toyota's ranking."

The Ford Explorer makes its debut on the list this year (at No. 4), thanks to its 85% domestic parts content and its Chicago-area assembly plant.  Chrysler, which had two models in last year's ranking, is back this year with only one, the Ohio-built Jeep Wrangler.

* Excludes hybrid variants. The Camry excludes the related Venza; the Accord excludes the related Crosstour.

Sources: Automaker data, Automotive News, dealership data, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

About the American-Made Index

The Cars.com American-Made Index is an annual ranking of vehicles deemed most American based on American production, percentage of domestic parts and American sales volume.

Domestic-parts content is based on data that appears alongside the window sticker of new cars as a result of the American Automobile Labeling Act, enacted in 1994. The AALA mandates that virtually every new car display the percentage, by cost, of its parts that originated in the U.S. and Canada. Only those vehicles with a domestic-parts content rating of 75 percent or higher are eligible for the American-Made Index.

For more information about the American-Made Index, visit Cars.com.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions. 

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

SOURCE Cars.com