A recent study by Boohoff Law looked at the most underrated U.S.-assembled vehicles after Donald Trump announced a “reciprocal tariff” strategy and imposed a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports in April, according to a news release by the firm.
“Many of the most underrated vehicles in the U.S. today aren’t lacking in quality — they’re simply lost in a crowded market,” said Tatiana Boohoff, Managing Partner of Boohoff Law, in a statement. “Our analysis shows that price and safety don’t always translate to visibility, especially for cars that don’t have a high-gloss marketing presence.”
The firm listed the Toyota Corolla Cross as the top-ranked underrated car assembled in the U.S. with a strong 67% satisfaction score and a low fatal crash rate of just 6 per 100,000 sold.
In second place is the Hyundai Santa Cruz as a rarely celebrated pickup option, though backed by a 67% satisfaction score. The Mazda CX-50 is third, with only three fatal crashes per 100,000 units sold — the lowest in the top 10. It also has a decent satisfaction rate of 61%.
Subaru’s Ascent is fourth with a 68% satisfaction rate and a moderate 12 crash incidents per 100,000 units sold. In fifth is the Subaru Crosstrek with a high Good Car Score. The Lincoln Corsair is sixth with a 70% satisfaction rate — the highest in the top 10. And the Cadillac CT5 takes the seventh spot with a balanced 65% satisfaction rating and limited fatalities (16).
The Cadillac XT4 comes in eighth, the BMW’s X3 is ninth, and the Kia Sportage, with a 90.5 Good Car Score, is tenth.
In its analysis, Boohoff Law looked at vehicles’ “Good Car Score,” which included affordability (starting MSRP), owner satisfaction, and safety (fatal crashes per 100,000 units sold), using weighted averages and Min-Max scaling with appropriate inversions. Its final ranking is based on a combined score that averaged the “Good Car Score” with an inverted total sales metric.
“Higher composite scores suggest that these vehicles deliver strong value, safety, and satisfaction relative to how little attention they receive in the market,” said the firm.
