Toyota - Paseo

Regardless of what kind of powerplant is lurking under the hood, convertibles equate with fun.

But compared to their hard-topped counterparts, they also equate with premium prices. And when there's lots of horsepower, your friendly statistical forecasters in the insurance industry think the fun may get out of hand, which is why so many ragtops are saddled with sky-high premiums.

That's the beauty of the new Toyota Paseo convertible. It delivers plenty of stylish fresh-air fun, but dodges the purchase price premiums and insurance penalties associated with most other ragtops.

Yes, it's true that this new convertible costs quite a bit more than the Paseo coupe. The basic Paseo costs $13,628, including a $420 destination and delivery charge, while the topless version starts at $17,148.

But that's still a bargain price for a convertible. The only ragtops that are cheaper are the Geo Tracker and Suzuki Sidekick sport-utilities.

And with only 93 horsepower, the Paseo doesn't attract much unfavorable scrutiny from the insurance companies.

However, please don't be deceived into thinking this is some sort of anemic snail like the late and unlamented Geo Metro Convertible. With less than 2200pounds 93 hp produces better performance here than you might expect.

Toyota introduced the Paseo early in 1991 as a 1992 model. Translated from Spanish, the name means walk or stroll, which may suggest something about the car's performance that isn't quite true (remember it has a favorable power-to-weight ratio).

Although the nifty two-door bodywork is unique to the Paseo, the rest of the car--front-drive chassis and powertrain--is shared with Toyota's subcompact Tercel line.

However, even though there's a lot of mechanical commonality, the Paseo has a distinctly sportier personality than its more conservative cousins, and is more fun to drive.