Comparing Toyota models with other brands

When I ask people what comes to their mind when they think about Toyota cars, among the answers I get include "reliability", "quality" and "value for money". However, all these are perceptions of the brand in the minds of consumers and I was wondering whether these were actually true.

I was looking at the Highlander (known as the Toyota Kluger in Japan and Australia) which is one their  best-selling mid size SUVs. The 2011 model only has some minor cosmetic changes to the 2nd generation. They also have a Hybrid variant. I really like this model but the question was with regards to the Highlander cost of ownership.

2008-2010 Toyota Highlander

Well, I found this site which allows you to compare the Highlander with other brands. It was quite interesting because according to the site, the Highlander costs much less to own as compared to it's nearest competitors, namely, the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ford Explorer.

The projected ownership costs include depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, state fees and repair and maintenance costs. This was based on 2012 model year study carried out by intellichoice (www.intellichoice.com)