CHICAGO, Aug. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Labor Day has become synonymous with discounts and deals for car buyers, but if you're in the market for a new vehicle, keep in mind this holiday celebrates U.S. workers — and finding a vehicle that's "Made in America" and supports the local economy is more complicated than it seems. The Cars.com CARS American-Made Index ranks cars based on five factors: assembly location, domestic-parts content, U.S. factory employment, engine sourcing and transmission sourcing. Just in time for one of the busiest car-shopping times of the year, the index helps car shoppers determine the "most American" vehicles of 2018 that have the greatest impact on the U.S. economy.

"Cars.com analyzed more than 100 U.S.-built vehicles to arrive at the top 10. We looked at which cars are manufactured in America, have the most American parts and support the most American factory jobs," said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com's executive editor.

According to a recent Cars.com survey, 82 percent of Americans believe that buying American-made vehicles will create more jobs in the U.S.¹ The survey also revealed many U.S. consumers want to support their neighbors and buy American cars, trucks and SUVs. Notably, 28 percent of respondents would only consider an American manufacturer when purchasing a vehicle, and 19 percent of survey respondents believe it is unpatriotic to buy vehicles that are not American-made.

The top 10 vehicles on the 2018 Cars.com American-Made Index are:

"This Labor Day, we're also expecting cash deals to be more prominent, especially among small SUVs. We've identified significant potential savings this holiday with two of the vehicles on the Cars.com American-Made Index — the Jeep Cherokee and the Ford F-150," added Wiesenfelder.

The Jeep Cherokee SUV is Illinois-built, though Jeep is a division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), an Italian corporation headquartered in London. Through Sept. 4, Jeep is offering $3,000 to $3,500 off the 2019 Cherokee, depending on trim level and region. In some areas, customers who secure standard financing through Chrysler Capital — Jeep's financing arm — can get another $500. Alternately, qualified shoppers can get zero percent financing for up to 60 months plus $1,000.

Additionally, now through Oct. 1, Ford is offering $3,750 to $4,250 off the 2018 F-150 pickup truck's mainstream XLT trim level; the range depends on region. Incentives on other trim levels are considerably lower, but the XLT accounts for nearly half of new F-150 inventory on Cars.com. Alternately, qualified shoppers can get 3.9 percent financing for up to 84 months.

For more information on the 2018 Cars.com American-Made Index, including a deeper dive into the data and methodology, visit www.cars.com/american-made-index.

¹Cars.com internal data. The 2018 American-Made Index surveyed more than 1,000 participants from an independent, third-party provider. The survey was conducted on May 23, 2018.

ABOUT CARS.COM
Cars.com™ is a leading two-sided digital automotive marketplace that creates meaningful connections between buyers and sellers. Launched in 1998 and headquartered in Chicago, the company empowers consumers with resources and information to make informed buying decisions around The 4Ps of Automotive Marketing™: Product, Price, Place and Person, by connecting advertising partners with in-market car shoppers and providing data-driven intelligence to increase inventory turn and gain market share. A pioneer in online automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting thousands of local dealers across the country with millions of consumers. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile features and intelligence, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of pricing and research tools, and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com is transforming the car shopping experience.

Cars.com properties include DealerRater®, Dealer Inspire®, Auto.com™, PickupTrucks.com® and NewCars.com®.  For more information, visit www.Cars.com. 

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SOURCE Cars.com Inc.