Lately, when it comes to the automobile industry, brand identity is more of an existential question than a hard-known fact.
Along with globalization and, particularly, consumers’ shift toward hybrid and electric vehicles, automakers’ parts, technology, and even the very assembly lines their cars are built on have undergone major changes, blurring the lines in terms of where a car is actually “from.”
Take BMW for instance, which sources auto parts from suppliers in more than 70 countries, including Germany (its home base) and elsewhere in Europe, but has its production plants in Mexico, China, South Africa, and the U.S.
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Similarly, historically American brands, like Buick, now manufacture many of their vehicles outside the U.S., in China, South Korea, Germany, and Canada. Even Ford (F) , which built a reputation on its “American-made” cars and trucks, continues to operate domestically, in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio, but now also has plants in Canada and Mexico.
Even brands like Honda (HMC) , Subaru, and Toyota, which were known for decades under the subheading of “foreign automakers” now build many of their vehicles stateside.
It’s enough to make your head spin.
What is an American car?
To find out what exactly defines an American car brand, we turned to Consumer Reports (CR), one of the country’s foremost product testing authorities whose primary mission is to help consumers make informed purchases.
Related: The 10 cars with the most satisfied owners, according to Consumer Reports
The nonprofit organization has been around for 90 years, counts over 6 million people as subscribers, and has a $30 million testing budget, so you could say it’s a trusted name in both product research and consumer advocacy.
CR says it considers brands that were founded in the U.S. as well as currently headquartered here to be “American.” This includes automakers like Ford, GM (GM) , Stellantis (STLA) , and Tesla (TSLA) , although it also points out that these brands could have other operations elsewhere.
Related: The 10 least satisfying cars of 2024, according to Consumer Reports
The cars that made Consumer Report’s list of Best American cars, trucks & SUVs also carry the “CR Recommended” distinction. This means that they have been independently tested and met or exceeded a 50-point evaluation that includes performance factors like braking, handling, and battery life, along with qualitative metrics like reliability and owner satisfaction.
The 12 vehicles that made the list are all 2024 models:
The best American cars, SUVs & trucks, according to Consumer Reports
Cadillac’s CT4 is CR’s pick in the American luxury compact category.
Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best luxury compact car: Cadillac CT4
Price range: $34,595–$61,495Fuel economy: Overall 25 / City 16 / Hwy 38 mpgCR ranking: #4 out of 7 luxury entry-level cars
Tesla’s Model 3 is one of two top CR picks from the brand.
iMoD Official, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best luxury electric car: Tesla Model 3
Price range: $38,990–$54,990Fuel economy: Overall 130 / city 137 / hwy 124 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) CR ranking: #4 of 13 electric luxury cars
The Chevy Corvette earns top marks as CR’s best American sports car.
Kidfly182, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best sports car: Chevrolet Corvette
Price range: $68,300–$130,650Fuel economy: Overall 19 / city 12 / hwy 29 mpgCR ranking: #3 of 7 2-seat sports cars
Another Chevy, ranks high on CR’s list of best compact American SUVs.
Booredatwork.com, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best compact SUV: Chevrolet Equinox
Price range: $26,600–$33,400Fuel economy: Overall 25 / city 17 / hwy 34 mpgCR ranking: #23 of 33 compact SUVs
The Ford Edge was CR’s pick for best American mid-sized SUV.
Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best midsized (2-row) SUV: Ford Edge
Price range: $38,465–$47,205Fuel economy: Overall 22 / city 15 / hwy 31 mpgCR ranking: #3 of 18 midsized SUVs
The Lincoln Corsair earned praise from Consumer Reports as its best American luxury compact SUV.
Bull-Doser, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Best luxury compact SUV: Lincoln Corsair
Price range: $38,990–$54,025Fuel economy: Overall 23 / city 15 / hwy 33 mpgCR ranking: #6 of 28 luxury compact SUVs
CR designated the Buick Enclave as its top American luxury SUV.
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Best luxury (3-row) SUV: Buick Enclave
Price Range: $43,900–$59,500Fuel economy: Overall 18 / city 12 / hwy 26 mpgCR ranking: #4 of 16 luxury midsized 3-row SUVs
More on cars and Consumer Reports:
The top 10 electric SUVs, according to Consumer Reports dataThe safest used cars for teens & families: Consumer ReportsUsed cars to avoid buying according to Consumer Reports
The Ford Mustang Mach-E was CR’s pick for American electric SUV.
Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best electric SUV: Ford Mustang Mach-E
Price Range: $39,995–$54,995Fuel economy: Overall 90 / city 96 / hwy 84 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) CR ranking: #2 of 17 electric SUVs
Another Tesla, the Model Y, won in the American luxury electric SUV category.
AuHaidhausen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best luxury electric SUV: Tesla Model Y
Price Range: $42,990–$51,490Fuel economy: Overall 121 / city 127 / hwy 114 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) CR ranking: #4 of 20 electric luxury SUVs
Chrysler’s Pacifica was named CR’s best American minivan.
HJUdall, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best minivan: Chrysler Pacifica
Price Range: $39,645–$59,785Fuel economy: Overall 21 / city 13 / hwy 33 mpgCR ranking: #5 of 6 3-row minivans
Related: Car brands with the most customer loyalty according to Consumer Reports
The Ford Maverick earned high marks as the best small American pickup.
RL GNZLZ from Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best small pickup: Ford Maverick
Price range: $23,920–$34,960Fuel economy: Overall 23 / city 16 / hwy 32 mpgCR ranking: #1 of 3 small pickup trucks
The Ram 1500 was designated by CR as its top American full-sized pickup.
Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Best full-sized pickup: Ram 1500
Price range: $39,420–$96,340
Fuel economy: Overall 17 / city 11 / hwy 24 mpg
CR ranking: #1 of 17 full-sized pickup trucks
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