Toyota is the world's most respected company - and also the most trusted automotive brand in Australia - according to two recent studies.

A global survey of consumer attitudes ranked Toyota first among the world's top 1,000 companies on perceptions of trust, esteem, admiration and good feeling.

Toyota achieved the top score of 86.53 out of 100, based on responses to an on-line survey completed by more than 60,000 people in 27 countries.

The study was carried out in February and March this year by New York-based private research and consulting firm Reputation Institute, and reported by Forbes.

Reputation Institute said Toyota had achieved an "outstanding" result, improving its ranking five places compared with the two previous studies in 2006 and 2007.

Toyota was the only automotive company in the top tier (a score above 80). Volvo was 32nd, Honda 39th, BMW 88th and Daimler 99th.

In a separate survey, Australian Reader's Digest said Toyota topped its annual poll as the most trusted automotive brand in the country.

Respondents said Toyota consistently produced top-quality models, delivered safe, reliable and economic cars and backed its product.

In the global Institute survey, each company is scored on what the organisation calls the seven dimensions of reputation.

Toyota was ranked first in five of the seven - innovation, products and services, performance, leadership and governance. The other two are citizenship and workplace.

US internet giant Google was second in the survey followed by Swedish furniture retailer IKEA and Italian chocolate-maker Ferrero.

The top-rated Australian company was Qantas Airways (117th with a score of 71.82). The global average score was 64.2.

The Institute said respondents voted only on domestic companies. The results were standardised to be comparable across industries and countries and over time.

According to the study, the general public tends to rate makers of consumer products, computers and electronics well above the global average.

"The results indicate relative appreciation for those customer-facing sectors and suggest a favourable operating environment for companies in these sectors," the Institute said.