We've owned the following Toyotas since my husband and I have been together, and have had no regrets, other than $$$ outlaid for the Tacoma:
1) 1987 Camry station wagon. We drove it from 430,000km to 470,000km, and about 6 years ago we sold it. It belonged to my Mom when I was a kid, and she bought it slightly used in 1988. Original engine and transmission. The person who bought it from us, sold it to a guy my Dad knows, and used it to drive back and forth to his job up north, and put another 200,000km+ on it, before he finally sold it for scrap. I don't know what my Mom paid for it, but my Dad got $300 for it, when we were done with it.
2) 1986 Tercel Station Wagon 4x4. That car only had 130,000km on it when my Dad bought it for us. It had been sitting, not running for 4 years in a barn, and there were a few issues with the carburetor that caused it to stall when idling low at stoplights and going down hills. My Dad eventually got that issue fixed, but then it threw a rod in the engine a few months later, which was the end of the car's life. It was a total shitbox, but it was a tank! Unfortunately, we only owned it for about 6 months. :( I believe my Dad paid $600 for it, and then got $400 for the body.
3) 2007 Yaris Sedan, bought new in 2007, after the Tercel died (not the smartest move, but the payments were only $218/month). It had wonderful gas milage, and for such a small car, it was easy for both DH (5'10) and I (5'4) to drive. We sold it to my cousin in 2009, when we bought the house. We made payments on it for 2 years, plus the $2500 we put down on it.
4) 2005 Matrix XR. I loved this car! It was sporty, and fun to drive, but still decent on gas. We owned it from 2008 until 2012, and we owned it from 99,000km to 155,000km. We bought it for $12,500 and sold it for $7,200.
5) 2001 Echo Sedan. We bought it for $2200 in 2009, and repaired some body damage, to sell it for $4500 in December 2010. This was also an awesomely cheap car to run.
6) 2006 Tundra TRD Crew Cab. I bought this in December 2010 for a work truck. It had 155,000km on it, and I drove it until 218,000 last month, when I rolled it on some ice. I paid $15,500 for it, and put about $3,000 into it, for tires/running boards/security/remote start/roll tarps. Insurance is giving me $14,805 for it this week. I love this truck! It handled wonderfully, and was a real work horse for me. It always started, no matter how cold it was. I miss it. :(
7) 2007 Tacoma Access Cab TRD. It had 92,000km on it when we bought it in summer 2012 for $19,000. We took a loss selling it in November 2012 for $16,500 at 112,000km. My husband bought it for work, but then changed jobs.
8) 2005 4 door Yaris Hatchback. We paid $1,400 for this in October 2012, with no engine. We put a used engine into it ($700 with 90,000kms on it) tires ($400) and a windshield ($200). We still own it, and it rocks! My husband drives it as his daily commuter. Wonderful on gas, and kinda fun to drive. Decent cargo space as well.
9) 1995 Tercel 4 door sedan. I just bought this for $575, and $15 for a new mirror from pick-n-pull. It also needs new wiper blades. It has 220,000 on the engine, and it's in pretty decent shape. It will do highway speeds as well! This is going to be my summer beater until I go back to work.
Likely #10 will be a 2005 Tundra Crew Cab TRD. I went to look at it today, and am mulling it over. It has all the options I want (power roll down rear windows) and it's exactly the same as the one I rolled last month, but in a more kick-ass colour (blue). It has 214,000km on it, but the engine shifts better than mine did. $11,000 is the price, but I'll need to put a roll tarp ($600), running boards ($400) and a hands-free phone in it (unknown $$$). This will stay parked in my driveway, and not driven, until I go back to work in the summer.
I'd junk/sell the Taurus now, and look for a 2001-2003 Echo with decent miles on it. Pull a carfax, and check for accidents, and have a mechanic look it over. We would have happily kept the 2001 echo, if I didn't need to buy the Tundra for work.