There’s long been a big push for people to buy American cars. Back in the day, buying American was the only thing most people would consider. As our world has become increasingly connected, car shoppers are often willing to consider vehicles made from companies that aren’t American. Yet what makes a car American, and could Honda be more American than Ford?

How did Cars.com find Honda more American than Ford?

A survey by Cars.com concluded that nearly three quarters of car shoppers at least consider where the vehicle they’re thinking of buying comes from. At the same time, not many people know where that is. Many people assume a Ford is made in America, and a Honda is made in Japan. Yet the truth is more complicated than that, as Cars.com proved.

Collecting information about not only where vehicles are manufactured, but also where their parts come from and the makeup of the labor source that gets that car to the dealership, Cars.com was able to compile a list of 90 cars. They then ranked these by how “American” they are. Cars.com didn’t include vehicles with small production numbers, fleet-only vehicles, and vehicles in their last year of production. The conclusion? Honda is more American than Ford.

Where are Hondas made?

Although Honda is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, its American headquarters is in California. A bunch of Honda vehicles are actually made in Ohio, Alabama, Indiana, the Carolinas, and Georgia. In fact, Honda has four vehicles in the top ten most American vehicles, while Ford only has one.

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline, number six on the list, is the highest ranked pickup truck. The Ridgeline and the number seven Honda Odyssey are both made in Lincoln, Alabama. So are the number eight Honda Passport and the number nine Honda Pilot. That’s a whole lot of American-made Hondas. 

Marysville, Ohio, is responsible for the number 17 Honda Accord, and the number 67 Honda Accord Hybrid. Some CR-Vs, number 69 on the list, are also made in Marysville. The rest are made in Japan. Just kidding, they’re made in Greensburg, Indiana and East Liberty, Ohio. 

Number 77 on the list is the Insight, and number 90 is another Civic. These are both made in Greensburg, Indiana as well. 

Ford takes the number two spot of most American-made vehicles

Thanks to the Mustang, made in Flat Rock, Michigan, Ford does take the second highest ranking. If you want an American made car and you love Mustangs, you’re in luck. 

Otherwise you can go with the number 11 Ford Expedition, made in Louisville, Kentucky, or the number 28 Ranger, made in Wayne Michigan. Another Michigan vehicle, the number 29 F-150, is made in both Dearborn and also Claycomo, Missouri. The F-150 Hybrid, number 43 on the list, is made in the same locations as the regular F-150.

The Ford Explorer, number 44, is the only Ford on this list made in Chicago. If you want a Ford Escape Hybrid, or a Ford Escape, numbers 61 and 62, know that they’re coming from Louisville, Kentucky. 

In total, Honda has 13 vehicles on the list of 90 most American made cars, while Ford only has 11. If buying American is a priority for you, it seems like Honda may be the way to go.