Summertime is filled with poolside vacations, backyard barbecues, and driving with the windows down — especially in the Jeep Wrangler, our new “Most-American” vehicle for 2017. Today, the Cars.com editorial team released its American-Made Index, and for the first time in the list’s history, the Jeep Wrangler topped the list.
The index is based on five key criteria: assembly location, domestic parts content, country of engine origin, country of transmission origin, and U.S. factory employment. “In an era of build-American sentiment, a sizable portion of shoppers still care where their car comes from,” said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com’s executive editor.
In fact, a recent Cars.com survey among in-market car shoppers determined that 25 percent of respondents would consider buying only from an American manufacturer — almost double the 2016 survey results.*
The Jeep Wrangler also ranked as one of the Top 6 most searched SUVs (both New and Used) according to our May On-the-Lot Trend Report. As today’s consumers are conducting their research online and not contacting a dealership before showing up on a lot, it is more important than ever for dealers to reach shoppers digitally.
Stand out from your local competition by branding your inventory as “American Made.” Check to see if your makes/models made the top 10, and contact your Cars.com rep today for insights on how you can highlight this accolade.
For more information on the 2017 Cars.com American-Made Index, including a deeper dive into the data and methodology, visit www.cars.com/news or click here.
*Cars.com Internal Data, 2017
