ATLANTA, Aug. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriotism runs deep for some car shoppers—deep enough to play a big role in which vehicle they decide to purchase. But buying a vehicle that is American Made isn't as simple as choosing a domestic brand. Labor Day is a day to celebrate the contributions of workers – particularly the 1.5 million people¹ directly employed by the automotive industry in the U.S. With Labor Day in mind, Autotrader is highlighting nine vehicles that are predominantly made in America, including five from foreign automakers.

"While shoppers want to purchase an American-made vehicle, the globalization of the automotive industry has changed our understanding of what that actually means," said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. "Despite all the talk about automakers manufacturing vehicles overseas, the fact is that a number of stellar vehicles are built right here by U.S. workers, from both domestic and foreign brands."

According to an Autotrader survey², 55 percent of in-market car shoppers said it was important to purchase an "American-made" vehicle, and 69 percent of car shoppers prefer to purchase a vehicle that is manufactured in the U.S. The top three reasons shoppers prefer a vehicle that is physically manufactured in the U.S. are: Support American Economy, Protect U.S. Jobs and Higher Product Quality.

Though domestic brands were most associated with being "American made" in the survey, there are several factors that shoppers should consider when searching for a truly American vehicle, from the manufacturing of the parts to the actual assembly of the vehicle. In this view, some import brands are actually more American than some domestics. That's why the editors at Autotrader compiled a list of cars that come from a variety of brands.

To make their selections, the Autotrader editorial team considered an industry-standard scale, the 2016 Kogod Made in America Automotive Index, which measures domestic content in vehicles. The editors then made recommendations for cars that are equally as appealing as they are "American made."

The vehicles they selected follow (in alphabetical order):

2016 Acura RDX             (Kogod Score: 76.00)
2016 Cadillac Escalade   (Kogod Score: 82.5)
2016 Chevrolet Malibu     (Kogod Score: 82.5)
2016 Ford F-150             (Kogod Score: 85.00)
2016 Honda Accord        (Kogod Score: 81.00)
2016 Jeep Cherokee       (Kogod Score: 78.5)
2016 Lincoln Navigator    (Kogod Score: 76.00)
2016 Toyota Camry        (Kogod Score: 78.5)
2016 Toyota Tundra        (Kogod Score: 73.5)

If you're among those shoppers whose patriotism plays a major role in their car purchase decision, check out Made in America: 9 Cars and Trucks Built in the U.S. on Autotrader.com to learn more about the selected vehicles.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most visited third-party car shopping site, with the most engaged audience of in-market shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered consumer looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing solutions guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience.

Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader^®, Dealer.com^®, Dealertrack^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, NextGear Capital^®, vAuto^®, Xtime^® and a host of other brands. The global company has 33,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com. 

¹ Center for Automotive Research, "Contribution of the Automotive Industry to the Economies of All Fifty States and the United States," January 2015.

² Autotrader survey conducted among 240 in-market shoppers (12-Month Vehicle Intenders) in June 2016.

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SOURCE Autotrader