Top Ten American Made 2012

Status
Not open for further replies.
I

Indydriver

Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
2,233
Location
Indiana
Rank Make/Model U.S. Assembly Location(s) Rank in July 2011
1. Toyota Camry Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette, Ind. 1
2. Ford F-150 Dearborn, Mich.; Claycomo, Mo. -
3. Honda Accord Marysville, Ohio 2
4. Toyota Sienna Princeton, Ind. 6
5. Honda Pilot Lincoln, Ala. -
6. Chevrolet Traverse Lansing, Mich. 8
7. Toyota Tundra San Antonio, Tex. 9
8. Jeep Liberty Toledo, Ohio -
9. GMC Acadia Lansing, Mich. 10
10. Buick Enclave Lansing, Mich. -

Glad to support the good people in Ohio and Indiana who built my last two purchases.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/07/four-of-top-five-most-american-cars-are-japanese.html
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
based on what
volume?
quality?
who rated them?

That's why I provided the link.

The ranking reflects content and volume. In other words, which vehicles provide the most man hours for US workers.
 
Last edited:
A little surprising, but not really (they are great cars) is the GM Lambdas (#6 Traverse, #9 Acadia, #10 Enclave) that take 3 of the 10 positions.

I had a 2008 Acadia and it was a great car--coast to coast and north to south never had any problems with it.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
good on you for posting this.


Thank you, Ots. I see you're in Indiana. If you're interested in a really interesting day trip, I would highly recommend a family outing to tour the Princeton Toyota plant. I was going to buy a Sienna anyway but man, that place is inspiring. And they make a good car there. 83% Hoosier employees.

http://www.tourtoyotaindiana.com/plant-tours/index.php
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
A little surprising, but not really (they are great cars) is the GM Lambdas (#6 Traverse, #9 Acadia, #10 Enclave) that take 3 of the 10 positions.

I had a 2008 Acadia and it was a great car--coast to coast and north to south never had any problems with it.

We looked at those really closely at the auto show. I like 'em but I couldn't get the wife out of a minivan. I will say, now that we've had the Sienna for a while, I really like driving it. It's a huge improvement over our last two Mopar vans.
 
Glad to see GM supporting America with their pickups....not.(Shame RAM isnt there either).
 
I like our Sienna and I've never even considered taking a factory tour but that's a good idea. Unfortunately the Pack doesn't play the Colts for a long time.
 
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Glad to see GM supporting America with their pickups....not.(Shame RAM isnt there either).

This is a little dated (2010 volumes and 2011 content) but still good information. GM content on Ft. Wayne assembled pick ups = 61%. The message if you're a pickup truck buyer and you want to "buy American" is to buy Ford.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/a-g...america-feature
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Glad to see GM supporting America with their pickups....not.(Shame RAM isnt there either).

Even the most expensive RAM with the CTD engine is made in Mexico.

I don't understand it.
 
Yes, many foreign manufacturers make some models (or in the case of BMW) one model here. That leads many to believe all their models are made here. it simply is not true. All American cars are made here is also not true. People who care about supporting American labor have to carefully scrutinize where each model is made. In some cases, different individual vehicles of the same model are made here or elsewhere. Now that BMW is making the X3 in the US, I have been told by people that all of the BMW 3 series are made here and another guy was arguing that all BMW's are made here, he heard it on tv. There is a difference between assembled here from foreign parts and made here (or a big percentage of the vehicle is) that also seems lost on many. I'm not telling anyone what to buy but I'm saying, if you have a preference, don't get fooled by the marketing.
 
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

In other words, which vehicles provide the most man hours for US workers.


Toyota should be on top if you add in the time to fix the recalls.

That doesn't count, it's dealer work.

Toyota is kind of like Bridgestone/Firestone after their little problem with the Explorer--safest products on the market now. These are both Japanese companies and one thing you have to understand about Japanese culture--they do not share our Judeo-Christian ethic where the sin is doing wrong. In Japanese culture, the sin is not in the doing, it's in the public disgrace of being exposed. This is "losing face" and now that both companies have survived, they will do anything and everything--cost be [censored]--to ensure it never happens again. Buy both with confidence,
 
Last edited:
Would that it were that simple. For starters these domestically assembled import brands, while somewhat better than wholly imported, only displaced American manufacturers' production. They are still not majority US owned or managed and neither are many of their parts suppliers. What about R&D? That's substantial. There's no real breakdown and comparison of US man hours or labor pay rates and benefits. And when they consider N. American content are subassemblies that may be foreign going into an larger assembly being counted as N. American?

Some of these transplants were practically entirely funded by subsidies and tax breaks and really only displaced a formerly existing Domestic production.

The general trend is even with foreign transplants vs Domestic is pay has been reduced and less US R&D, less US ownership (money going outside the US) etc. Point of final assembly and N. American parts content only tell a small part of the picture and make Japanese brands look better or equivalent to Domestics than they really are. And multiplying that by the number sold is an even more baised metric. A Ford or Chevy with even less domestic parts content could very well create more jobs and revenue in the US. Not to mention a car like the Malibu has equal or higher domestic content.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Would that it were that simple. For starters these domestically assembled import brands, while somewhat better than wholly imported, only displaced American manufacturers' production. They are still not majority US owned or managed and neither are many of their parts suppliers. What about R&D? That's substantial. There's no real breakdown and comparison of US man hours or labor pay rates and benefits. And when they consider N. American content are subassemblies that may be foreign going into an larger assembly being counted as N. American?

Some of these transplants were practically entirely funded by subsidies and tax breaks and really only displaced a formerly existing Domestic production.

The general trend is even with foreign transplants vs Domestic is pay has been reduced and less US R&D, less US ownership (money going outside the US) etc. Point of final assembly and N. American parts content only tell a small part of the picture and make Japanese brands look better or equivalent to Domestics than they really are. And multiplying that by the number sold is an even more baised metric. A Ford or Chevy with even less domestic parts content could very well create more jobs and revenue in the US. Not to mention a car like the Malibu has equal or higher domestic content.



The data comes from the American Automobile Labelling Act. Since 1994 manufacturers have had to list where a car is assembled, what percentage of the parts come from what country and where the engine and gearbox are made.

The American made vehicle with the highest American parts content, is the Toyota Avalon which is made in Georgetown, Ky. It features 85% American parts with the engine and gearbox both being made in the US. The only vehicle with more domestic parts is the Toyota Matrix , with 95% American parts, but is assembled in Canada and has a Japanese gearbox.

Ranking as the third most American sourced vehicles, the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana are made in the USA and use 82% domestic sourced parts, but they often used Mexican made transmissions.

Good for Toyota. At least they are not laying off 2000 workers in one of the most productive GM plants in N/A. Thanks GM Oshawa. Almost seems like the foreign companies are more domestic than the domestic brands.
 
Toyota and Honda can pay as little as 1/3 what UAW suppliers historically got, (yes there are as low as ~$8/hr no benefits contract workers). They don't need to go to Mexico for low labor costs. Domestic parts content is still a good thing if not the whole story and for the other reasons mentioned. Even domestics are becoming more global and no one is trying to do America any favors really.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Toyota and Honda can pay as little as 1/3 what UAW suppliers historically got, (yes there are as low as ~$8/hr no benefits contract workers). They don't need to go to Mexico for low labor costs. Domestic parts content is still a good thing if not the whole story and for the other reasons mentioned. Even domestics are becoming more global and no one is trying to do America any favors really.


Toyota and Honda workers here make well over $20/hr with decent benefits and excellent profit sharing programs.
 
Originally Posted By: Autobahn88
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Toyota and Honda can pay as little as 1/3 what UAW suppliers historically got, (yes there are as low as ~$8/hr no benefits contract workers). They don't need to go to Mexico for low labor costs. Domestic parts content is still a good thing if not the whole story and for the other reasons mentioned. Even domestics are becoming more global and no one is trying to do America any favors really.


Toyota and Honda workers here make well over $20/hr with decent benefits and excellent profit sharing programs.


But no retiree pensions and health care programs that employers like Ford, or GM, have been obligated to provide over the years as their employees age out and retire. So, Toyota and Honda can pay the same wage/benefits to current workers while not having the billions of dollars a year in obligations. It's on the order of $3,000/car to cover those retiree obligations - money that doesn't go into design, R&D, production, or sales of the vehicles, and it gives the newer companies a big cost advantage, even though their workers are paid the same in wages & benefits.

This is part of the pressure that drives companies to declare bankruptcy - in which they can shed their obligations to their retired employees and regain competitive labor costs...not saying this is morally, or ethically, correct, but the arithmetic does not lie.
 
Last edited:
The day of company sponsored pension programs are over. The company that I work for now has a defined contribution program where employees hired after 2006 paid a portion of their salary in a pension plan. They had to do this to survive in the future. That aside, foreign manufacturers support communities they are in and provide good wages and help the local economies. Unlike GM who are laying off 2000 people in Oshawa even though that facility is state of the art and wins GM JD powers quality awards year in and year out.

http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Toyota-Motor-Manufacturing-Canada-Salaries-E39593.htm
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

H
  • Locked
Vehicles with American contends are shrinking !
2
Replies
26
Views
7K
HTSS_TR
M
  • Locked
The truth about American-made cars
4 5 6
Replies
110
Views
59K
Hokiefyd
H
  • Locked
Top Domestic Content
2
Replies
25
Views
10K
Samilcar
Back
Top Bottom