In time for Independence Day and summer car sales, American made cars are gaining in quality and notoriety. The most American cars according to ‘Made in America’ Automotive Index, produced by American University’s Kogod School of Business are made by GM, Ford and FCA. Young Americans are realizing the quality and value of American cars, notes a new study by Penn Schoen Berland, commission by the Ford Motor Company.
GM’s Buick Enclave, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Corvette, GMC Acadia and Acadia Denali and Chevrolet Traverse all tied for No. 1 in the Kogod rankings. While GMC Canyon, Savana and Expedition and Taurus are number two. The Ford Expedition, Explorer and F-Series Pickup are number three long with the Cadillac ATS/CTS and Chevy Equinox.
Nearly 80 percent of Americans would prefer an American-made product, according to a Consumer Reports National Research Center survey. According to the American Automotive Labeling Act, if 75 percent or more of a car’s parts by value come from the U.S. or Canada, it’s considered a domestic product. There are a total of 55 car/truck models that are considered “American” made including some models form Toyota, Honda and Tesla on the list.
Gen Y & Z Like American Cars
A study by Ford found that Young Americans are not following their parents foreign-made vehicles preference.
Of Millennial consumers polled, 72 percent do not feel loyalty to the automobile brands their parents preferred. Instead, an overwhelming 91 percent trust the quality of American products to be equal or better than products made elsewhere, with 74 percent of members of Generation Y going so far as to say it’s important to buy products made in America.
Younger generations rank the quality of automobiles made in the United States above that of those made elsewhere. Of the respondents, 45 percent say American cars are better, 33 percent go with European-made cars, while 22 percent prefer Asian-made vehicles.
43 percent of Gen Y and Gen Z consumers rank Ford among the top three brands for making high-quality vehicles. Among those who named multiple brands as providing high-quality vehicles, Ford ranks No. 2 in delivering the highest quality.
When evaluating the quality of a car, 40 percent of these consumers are likely to factor in their parents’ opinions, while 38 percent value online reviews and 27 percent turn to third-party quality rankings such as Consumer Reports or J.D. Power. Of Millennials polled, 65 percent say how a car feels to drive is important in evaluating quality, while 54 percent believe how it feels inside is important and 43 percent think looks are key.
The top factors influencing Millennial buyers’ car-purchasing decisions are cost, gas mileage, how well a car drives and a vehicle’s safety features. 79 percent say they value high quality over good looks.
Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), an independent research company, conducted the poll on behalf of Ford Motor Company among 1,000 Generation Z (aged 16-22) and Generation Y (aged 23-34) respondents in the U.S. The online survey was conducted between April 29 and May 4, 2015.
