All of us here at Lithia Toyota of Missoula are proud to say we stock our showroom with the most American vehicles. You might be confused by this considering Toyota's home base is in Japan, but according to a recent study completed by Edmunds.com, it tied for first place with another Japanese automaker as a brand that is considered to be the most 'American.'
So how were the top brands determined? Edmunds evaluated the percentage of U.S./Canadian parts that were utilized by each automaker, the final location of model assembly, and the country of origin where the engine and transmission were manufactured. This information is extracted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and is also displayed on a vehicle's window sticker.
Carroll Lachnit, Edmunds Consumer Advice Editor, explains, "In a world of global supply chains, buying an 'American' car can be difficult. A car's 'American-ness' is often in the eye of the car shopper and the manufacturer. The 2013 Avalon, for example, was designed, engineered and manufactured in the United States and 80 percent of its content is domestic."1
Another example mentioned by Edmunds.com was the Toyota Tundra pickup, with 75 percent of its parts originating in the U.S. In fact, when looking at the new Toyota lineup, a majority of the models are actually assembled right here in the United States.
To learn more about these models, simply stop by our Missoula, MT showroom anytime during our normal business hours. Our team would be happy to schedule you for a test drive with the vehicle that catches your eye, and answer any questions that you may have about specs and features.
Source: 1http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/toyota-honda-among-top-american-cars-edmunds-says.html
