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A half-ton pickup truck is a rare sight in much of the world but a ubiquitous icon of the U.S.A. So you might be surprised to hear that one of the most “American” vehicle segments is far from the most “American-made.” While various economic experts disagree on whether the Honda Ridgeline or Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon is the most American-made truck, they all agree midsize trucks beat out half tons.

How American-made is the Honda Ridgeline?

Honda’s compact, unibody pickup truck is built alongside the Pilot SUV in Lincoln, Alabama. In addition, 70% of the parts that go into the Honda Ridgeline come from either the U.S. or Canada. According to Cars.com, this makes it the most “American-made” pickup truck.

2021 Ridgeline Sport HPD | Honda

Cars.com releases a yearly list of the 100 most American-made cars and trucks. Truck’s rankings ranged from the Ridgeline (number nine) to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (number 96). You can see how the trucks that made the list stack up below:

  1. Honda Ridgeline
  2. Toyota Tundra
  3. Jeep Gladiator
  4. Ram 1500
  5. Hyundai Santa Cruz
  6. GMC Canyon
  7. Chevrolet Colorado
  8. Ford F-150 Lightning (EV)
  9. Toyota Tundra Hybrid
  10. Nissan Titan
  11. Ford F-150 Hybrid
  12. Nissan Frontier
  13. Ford F-150 (ICE)
  14. Ford Ranger
  15. Ram 1500 Classic
  16. GMC Sierra 1500
  17. Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Not everyone agrees with Cars.com’s rankings. Their list is based on the location of final assembly and the percentage of parts that come from the U.S. or Canada. The experts at the Kogod School of Business (part of American University) also rank how American-made various makes and models are. But they consider where each automaker has its headquarters. This is because much of what you pay for a new car goes into research and development, marketing, and reinvesting in the automaker. As a result, the Ridgeline does not earn first place on Kogod’s list.

How American-made is the Chevy Colorado?

General Motors assembles the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in Wentzville, Missouri. Both trucks can claim 61% of their parts are from the U.S. or Canada. Therefore, the Kogod School of Business awarded most “American-made” pickup truck to the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon.

A 2023 Chevrolet Colorado driving through the desert.
2023 Chevy Colorado | Chevrolet

According to Kogod, the Ford F-150 is the second most American-made pickup truck. Only 55% of its parts come from the U.S./Canada, but it gets perfect scores for its headquarters, engine origins, and transmission origins–in most trims. Optioning it with the EcoBoost or PowerBoost makes it much less American-made. The F-150 Lightning also has fewer parts made in the U.S. or Canada (38%).

Kogod gave the Honda Ridgeline third place. See how all the trucks stack up below:

  1. Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (gasoline) – #4
  2. Ford F-150 (with 2.7, 3.3, or 5.0-liter engine) – #8
  3. Honda Ridgeline – #10
  4. Jeep Gladiator (V6) – #17
  5. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (diesel) – #17
  6. Ford F-150 (with 3.5-liter EcoBoost) – #18
  7. Ram 1500 Classic (U.S. assembled versions) – #21
  8. Toyota Tundra (both ICE and hybrid) – #25
  9. Toyota Tacoma (U.S. assembled version) – #25
  10. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (V8) – #26
  11. Ram 1500 – #30
  12. Jeep Gladiator (diesel) – #31
  13. Nissan Titan – #35
  14. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (U.S. assembled version with 5.3-liter V8) #37
  15. Ford F-150 Lightning (EV) – #40
  16. Nissan Frontier – #42
  17. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (5.3-liter V8)
  18. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (Mexico assembled version)
  19. GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (Mexican assembled with U.S. engines) #42
  20. Ram 1500 Classic (Mexican assembled version) – #45
  21. Toyota Tacoma (Mexican assembled version) – #52
  22. Chevrolet Silverado (Mexican assembled with 5.3-liter V8) – #62
  23. Ford Maverick – #70

What’s the most American-made pickup truck?

The answer is complicated: Buying a Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon or Ford F-150 means that you will be sending as little money as possible to business people and engineers overseas. But opting for a Honda Ridgeline or Toyota Tundra may do more for manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. Either way, neither of the “most American-made pickup truck” on these lists are a full-size model – both winners are midsize trucks.

Next, read how to find out if your truck was made in Mexico or learn more about how American-made your vehicle is in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.