The Least American Cars Ranked

Every year, the American University's Kogod School of Business releases a Made in America Auto Index using data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and verified on individual window stickers on vehicles located at dealerships in the United States.

For 2024, Tesla took most of the top positions. At the other end of the spectrum, a slew of cars and SUVs from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo got a single point on the index to land in last place.

There are nearly 90 individual models that share the lowest-of-all single-point score, so instead of listing all of them, here are five that we thought were particularly interesting.

1) Audi Q4 e-tron

Starting at the top (in alphabetical order), the Audi Q4 e-tron that earns a single point on the Made in America Auto Index is built atop the exact same platform as the Volkswagen ID.4 series of electric crossovers. The two electric machines share a large amount of their engineering, not to mention research and development costs, but they fall far apart from one another on the list. That’s because the Audi is built in Zwickau, Germany, whereas the VW is assembled in multiple plants around the world, including in Chattanooga, Tennessee. American-made ID.4 models score as high as 75.5, good enough for seventh place on the overall list.

2) Mazda3

Next up is the Mazda3, which highlights why looking at a car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) can be so meaningful. The third digit of a car’s VIN identifies the country where it was built. Mazda3 models with a 3 are built in Mexico, while Mazda3 models with a J are produced in Japan. For Kogod’s study, the Japanese versions are a wee bit more American than their Mexican-made counterparts. Odd but true. You’ll see similar VIN callouts on the list from multiple manufacturers.

3) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV scores a 1, but some other versions such as the Outlander ES with its standard gasoline-fueled engine score a bit higher at 3.5. That’s because the plug-in hybrid powertrain was developed and is assembled by Mitsubishi while the base 2.5-liter engine in other Outlander models is made by Nissan, which has manufacturing plants here in the United States. Nissan Rogue models use a similar platform as the Outlander, and some American-made Rogues score 30.5 while some Japanese-built Rogues score just 13.5.

4) Toyota Corolla

Toyota makes several vehicles that wear the Corolla nameplate. The car we most often see is a compact sedan, and it’s available in regular and hybrid forms. The Corolla Hybrid (along with the GR and hatchback) scores the lowest total of 1. But the Corolla Cross SUV scores a 62 because American models are made in Alabama. Some other Corolla-badged models are made in Mississippi and will have a country code of 1, 4 or 5 like all other vehicles that are assembled in the States.

5) Volvo V60

Finally we have the Volvo V60, which is a wagon that’s based on the S60 sedan. Right now, 2024 S60 sedans on dealership floors score 37.5 points and were assembled in South Carolina, but the car’s days are numbered. Production of the Volvo S60 will continue in other countries, but since Americans don’t buy many sedans these days, it won’t be offered here any longer. The Volvo V60, however, was never assembled in the States and gets a score of 1. For what it’s worth, Volvo’s fully electric EX90 is now built in South Carolina but has not yet been ranked on the Made in America Auto Index.

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