Reader's Digest has conducted a poll to establish which are the most trusted brands in Australia. Broken up by category, the poll's respondents determined that Cadbury is the most trusted brand in the country, but Toyota is the most trusted automotive brand.

Toyota overtook Mercedes-Benz in the survey on the basis of quality, safety, reliability and economy, according to the respondents.

On its website, Reader's Digest quotes four typical respondents who nominated Toyota for the gong. Coincidentally, all four respondents hailed from New South Wales.

"Consistently produce top quality models in all categories," one male, aged between 25 and 29, attributed as his principal reason for voting Toyota.

"Because their cars are always safe, reliable, economic," noted another male, aged over 65.

"They back their product!" was the view of a female, aged between 45 and 49.

"Reliable and easy to get things fixed if something goes wrong," said another middle-aged female.

Reader's Digest provided no details concerning the means by which the results of the survey were collated and analysed, or how many respondents took part.

The results of the survey do seem to support at least one element of a brand survey conducted by Toyota in 2003. In that survey, the company was deemed to be 'iconic' rather than 'inspirational'.

"We sat slap-bang in the middle of the 'iconic' sphere," said David Buttner, Toyota's Senior Executive Director Sales and Marketing, during a recent conversation with the Carsales Network.

"And that's based on quality, durability, reliability -- and that generally is how Toyota is perceived around the world."

Buttner noted that those people who rated Toyota highly for those virtues tended to sit within a demographic of people aged over 50 years old. The company will not sit idly by with its market share slipping away as more loyal buyers fall off the twig.

"So what we want to do over time is move ourselves to the intersection point between iconic and inspirational," says Buttner.

That's why the company has established TRD and is engaging in different arenas of motor sport competition. It's good to be trusted, but Toyota is also seeking admiration for other qualities.

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