When it comes to reliability and sales charts, Toyota is no stranger to placing first. But, according to a recent survey, the Japanese brand is also the most-searched-for car brand of 2021.

Price comparison website comparethemarket.com has compiled a list of the most searched for car brands, by analyzing Google Trends data for 154 countries. In 47 of the analyzed countries, Toyota came out first. Australia, Russia, and Japan are among these countries.

While the brand is very popular across the world, the reveal of the GR Yaris, GR86, and Land Cruiser LC300 will have certainly piqued the interests of enthusiasts worldwide, driving high interest in the Tokyo-based brand.

Toyota wasn't the most-searched-for car brand in the United States, though, with Ford coming out at the top. It dominated search results in Canada as well. The Toyota RAV4 was the most successful non-truck in the USA last year, with 407,739 units sold in 2021.

Impressive that may be, it pales in comparison to the Ford F-Series. Despite sales declining by 8%, the Blue Oval managed to shift an incredible 726,004 units. The introduction of a Hybrid model certainly bolstered appeal.

The Toyota Camry saw an increase of 7%, with 313,795 units of the mid-sized sedan sold last year.

Hot on Toyota's trail are BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The trio of brands has dominated the top three positions for two years in a row, with Mercedes-Benz gaining on the other two carmakers significantly. It still holds third place, though.

Tesla also polled well, clinching first place in Hong Kong, Israel, and Singapore. Musk's forward-thinking carmaker also netted a number of second and third-place finishes in several countries.

While it comes as no surprise that left-field brands such as Alfa Romeo and Daewoo didn't top the charts anywhere, it's interesting to note that Volkswagen also didn't place first in any of the 147 countries surveyed.