If you’re looking for a 90s Japanese convertible, you’ll quickly land on the Mazda MX-5. But what if you want to take four people with you? Then the Toyota Paseo might offer a solution.
Okay, it’s not really convertible weather yet, but we can’t ignore this bright red Toyota Paseo. The first generation of this model was purely a coupe and never made it to the European market; the second generation did, and as you can see, it also came as a convertible. The Japanese car is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. That engine produces 90 hp and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. If you use all those horsepower, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.9 seconds. The top speed of the Paseo is 185 km/h.
Unfortunately, the Toyota offered for sale is no longer on its original wheels, but otherwise makes a very well-maintained impression. The car’s paintwork is sleek, and it doesn’t seem to suffer from rust. With a mileage of 135,113 km, the used car hasn’t driven much either. That relatively low mileage is reflected in the neat interior, where the colored pattern on the seats and doors particularly stands out.
Although you wouldn’t say so based on its appearance, the Toyota Paseo shares a lot of its technology with the very reliable Toyota Starlet. That promises a lot of good for the future owner. For any (second-hand) convertible, it’s important to carefully inspect the fabric roof for tears and damage. The combination of modest mileage and Toyota’s good reputation for reliability means this Paseo can last for many more summers. And all for less than €5,000!