Toyota insurance quotes and insurance groups

Insurance group ratings take into account performance, security, damage and parts costs, new car values, availability of body shells and repair costs and times. What you'll typically find is that cars in lower insurance groups cost less to insure, whilst cars in higher insurance groups attract a higher premium - usually because they are high performance models or have high repair or replacement costs.

Toyota Motors began in life in 1937 after its parent company was encouraged to make automobiles by the Japanese Government. In a little over 70 years, Toyota has become the largest car manufacturer in the world and according to the Fortune 500 (2008 listing) is the world’s fifth largest company. This unprecedented success can be partly attributed to the famous ‘Toyota Way’. The ‘Toyota Way’ features superior manufacturing methodology and focuses on long term ambition, even at the expense of short-term goals.

The idea of long term ambition can be categorized by Toyota’s determination to reduce the carbon impact the world’s vehicles have on the atmosphere. In 1997, Toyota launched the world’s first mass produced eco-vehicle, the Toyota Prius. Incorporating Toyota’s revolutionary Synergy Drive, the Toyota Prius will produce up to 89% less harmful emissions when compared to a conventional internal combustion engine. Since the introduction of the Prius, Toyota has added two more hybrid vehicles to its range, the Highlander and Camry with the view to offer the entire Toyota production portfolio with a Hybrid Synergy Drive option by 2030.

Since the 1970s, Toyota has heavily invested in motorsports, entering events around the world including the World Rally Championships and Formula 1. Toyota’s first involvement in rallying came when Swede Ove Andersson’s Andersson Motorsport team used a Toyota Celica 1600GT during the 1972 RAC Rally of Great Britain. The team was later renamed and during the early 90s dominated the Championship winning the World Rally Championship drivers titles four times (in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994). Toyota also went on to win the World Rally Championships constructors title three times (in 1993, 1994 and 1999).

During Toyota’s final season in the sport it announced that it would be pulling out of the sport to concentrate on creating a Formula 1 team. In 2002, Toyota debuted at the Australian Grand Prix picking up a point with Mika Salo at the wheel. To date, Toyota’s best season in Formula 1 was in 2005 when Toyota came fourth in the Constructors Championships scoring 88 points.