Not Chevy, Not Ford: Consumer Reports Names This Affordable Model The Best American-Made Midsize Truck

For many, the quintessential American-made truck probably conjures images of a Ford or a Chevrolet. However, Consumer Reports' (CR) choice for the best American-made midsize pickup of 2026 actually comes from a Japanese brand. The organization selected the Honda Ridgeline, a 5,000-pound-towing-capacity midsize truck with great resale value. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 75% of the 2026 Ridgeline's parts content comes from the United States or Canada, while its final assembly takes place in the United States.

Despite Honda's Japanese roots, the Ridgeline is built in Lincoln, Alabama, while its engine and transmission also originate in the United States. Early first-generation Ridgeline models were produced in Ontario, Canada, before Honda transferred production to Alabama in 2009. Honda's Lincoln factory employs more than 4,500 people and can manufacture as many as 340,000 vehicles and 340,000 V6 engines annually. Honda also says the second-generation Ridgeline, which includes the 2026 model year, was designed at its Los Angeles studio and developed at its Raymond, Ohio, development center.

The base 2026 Ridgeline Sport has an MSRP of $40,795 before a $1,495 destination fee, bringing its starting price to $42,290. That's $7,565 below the $49,855 average transaction price for a new vehicle in July 2026, per Cox Automotive. It also comes standard with a five-seat crew cab, all-wheel drive, a 280-horsepower V6, and a nine-speed automatic transmission, rather than reserving those features for a costlier configuration. CR particularly highlighted the Ridgeline's unibody construction and independent suspension, which give it a comfortable ride and more car-like handling than a conventional body-on-frame pickup.

The Ridgeline's 75% U.S./Canadian parts-content figure in the NHTSA data isn't common among trucks sold in America. In fact, no other 2026 pickup listed by the agency reaches that percentage. The Jeep Gladiator comes closest at 74% — an impressive score, especially because it's one of the cheapest 2026 trucks that don't sacrifice size. The other runners-up aren't particularly close, with the Ford Ranger at 60% and the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon each containing 49% U.S./Canadian parts. 

The Ridgeline even surpasses America's best-known full-size pickups in U.S./Canadian parts content, including the Ford F-150 at 45% and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra at 38% apiece. The Ram 1500 comes closer, with 55% U.S./Canadian parts content for trucks built in the United States and 35% for those built in Mexico. This cross-border manufacturing helps explain why tariffs can make some American cars more expensive, since an American badge does not guarantee that a vehicle or all its parts come from the United States.

Cars.com's 2026 American-Made Index, which considers factors including U.S. factory employment and the origins of available engines and transmissions, places the Gladiator third overall and the Ridgeline fifth. Even then, the Honda finishes ahead of the Canyon at No. 25, the F-150 at No. 28, the Ranger at No. 29, and the Colorado at No. 30. While the NHTSA's methodology is an aggregation of both U.S. and Canadian parts, combining it with Cars.com's index proves the Alabama-built Ridgeline relies more heavily on North American components than even trucks from the Detroit Three.