What is a Toaster Car?
A few vehicles have been deemed “toaster cars.” Here’s how they got their nickname.
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
Your great-grandfather’s Model T went by Tin Lizzie, your mom’s Porsche 911 was dubiously termed Widowmaker, and your own vintage
Nissan Skyline GT-R
is affectionately (and respectfully) known as Godzilla
. Sometimes it’s a car’s performance that draws a comparison, or its questionable safety record. And sometimes it’s just a shape association. Jerry
, the trustworthy insurance comparison app
, looks at what a toaster car is, and how the term has been lately repurposed.Toaster car, old school
A toaster car is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a car that bears a strong resemblance to a kitchen toaster. It’s boxy and metallicky, and doesn’t seem entirely at home in its automotive designation.
Perhaps the most famous example of a toaster car is the Kia Soul, iconically advertised by rapping hamsters in the 2010s, with a close second being the short-lived Toyota Scion xB.
It’s not entirely clear where the term originated, but
Automotive News
reports that when the 12-year-old daughter of a top Kia designer began calling various cars on the road “toaster cars,” Kia embraced it. Whether intended to be disparaging, literal, or funny, the phrase captures something essential about the Kia Soul. In fact, in one of the famous rapping hamster
commercials
, we see two (non-rapping) hamsters whiz by in a motorized toaster. Clearly Kia was ahead of this joke.Toaster car, updated
A toaster car of the 2010s had its aesthetic match in a kitchen appliance. But the updated toaster car, as of 2021, takes the analogy a step further.
Marketplace.org
reports on the Citroën Ami, a tiny four-wheeled vehicle that tops out at 28 mph, and is technically a quadricycle. With its blocky square shape, it does look like a toaster, and it’s small enough that you could imagine throwing in a few baguettes.But the toaster moniker makes even more sense in the context of the Ami’s power source. It’s a plug-in EV, just like that silver number sitting on your kitchen counter. And to cap it off, you won’t find this tiny vehicle at your local dealership. The $8,000 Citroën Ami is sold only at electrical goods stores and online, much like—you guessed it—a toaster.
Saving on car insurance
Whether you’re still rocking a Kia Soul or considering scooting around the neighborhood in a Citroën Ami, your toaster needs great insurance. The
Jerry
app is a good place to start. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.
And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price. This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.7/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.
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