What percentage of your vehicle's value contributes to the overall well-being of the US economy and why does this information matter to you?

Most consumers are interested in where the products that they buy come from. In many cases, a product that you might think is American may in fact be something else–the same holds true in the case of foreign products in the US. You might think the country of origin of a car is Germany or Japan when in reality it’s Mexico or Canada. The Kogod Made in America Index helps consumers determine how “American” a car actually is by evaluating and ranking over 500 car models based on their country of origin and several factors that can be found on a vehicle's label in the showroom. Other rankings do not always take into account all of the factors that we include, such as the location of the headquarters of an automaker and where research and development (R&D) takes place.

Our index provides information to help consumers make a decision when they are purchasing a vehicle. We at Kogod are trying to make the buyer more knowledgeable about their purchases and understand the impact that these purchases have on the US economy.

Seven criteria are considered. This criteria includes profit margin, labor, and the location of research and development, among others.