For many people across the U.S., patriotism runs deep. So it's no surprise many people tend to gravitate toward American brands and companies, especially when it comes to buying a car. TrueCar took a look at auto sales data from around the country to determine which states were the most and least patriotic.
The No. 1 state for patriotic car buyers was Michigan, where 79.2 percent of new cars were purchased from one of the "Big Three" automakers - Chrysler, Ford and GM. All of these manufacturers are based in the state, so that figure is not so surprising. Other states that buy a large amount of American-made cars were North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wyoming.
The least patriotic states were led by Hawaii, which only had 19.4 percent of new car purchases being American vehicles. The island chain was followed by the District of Columbia, California and Connecticut. Drivers in these states may have to keep an eye on the price of auto repair and scheduled maintenance, as the cost of ownership could be significantly higher.
"Despite Asian and European automakers having a number of factories in the U.S., many Americans still have strong loyalty to the brands they view as 'domestic'," said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst for TrueCar. "Even as the line defining what is or isn't domestic has blurred, perception, attitudes and buying habits are more resistant to change, particularly in the heartland."