For decades, Toyota has been a purveyor of dependable, predictable transportation. With some great exceptions, the most thrilling part about an average Toyota from the 1990s was the heart-pounding action of twisting the key and the engine firing right up, every time, followed by the white-hot excitement of good fuel economy. The Toyota Paseo was one of those cars. It looked sporty, but was otherwise a perfectly cromulent ’90s Toyota. But Toyota sold one version that was a bit of a hoot, and for a single year, Americans got to enjoy an affordable compact that dropped its top on good days.
Living with The Autopian‘s Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet has reinforced my opinion that the convertible is the best kind of car. There’s nothing quite like heading out on a sunny day or clear night, dropping the top, and enjoying infinite skies with the wind at your back and a windshield at your face. Everything is better with a convertible, from chasing the aurora to beach days. I’ll even drive a convertible in the winter!
Sadly, there’s a dearth of “mundane” convertibles in today’s market. Car and Driver‘s list of convertible cars starts with the BMW M4 and meanders its way through the Chevrolet Corvette and the Mercedes-AMG CLE53 on the way to the Porsche 911 and the Aston Martin Vantage. If you want a more attainable car that drops its top, you’re largely limited to the Ford Mustang, Mini Cooper, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Ford Bronco, and Jeep Wrangler. Edmunds has a longer list of ‘verts, but the additional cars are entries like the BMW Z4, Lexus LC 500, Jeep Gladiator, and BMW 8 Series.
None of these cars are truly “regular,” however, as they all cater to some enthusiast niche or luxury segment. Seemingly gone are the days when automakers spiced up their mundane cars with a drop-top.
In the 2000s, you used to be able to roll down to your local Chrysler dealer and drive out in a Sebring, PT Cruiser, or Crossfire with the roof down. Meanwhile, Volkswagen was slinging cars like the New Beetle, Cabrio, and Eos in open-air configurations. Regular car convertibles were even hotter in the 1990s, with everyone from Buick to Mercury in on the action. Even the humble Chevy Cavalier and frugal Geo Metro were available as convertibles!
Toyota wasn’t afraid to take its tops off in this era, either. Fans of the Celica might remember the short-lived Toyota Celica GT Convertible of the early 1990s. There was also the Toyota RAV4, the Toyota MR2, the Toyota Supra, and the Toyota Camry Solara.
Then, there was this, the Toyota Paseo Convertible. Sold for just a single year in America, you may not even remember this totally regular convertible.
A Spicier Economy Car
The Toyota Paseo was the international variant of the Cynos. In old press releases, Toyota indicated that the Cynos was designed to appeal to younger buyers. But this wasn’t really a performance car.
To attract youthful buyers to its affordable coupe, Toyota says it developed a 2+2 coupe under the basic concept of “comfortable appearance and a satisfying driving experience.” According to Toyota, this meant an overall design concept of a “coupe gliding through the city.” Alright, so what does that mean? Toyota continues that the Cynos had a lightweight and compact body, sporty lines, and a handful of graceful curves. Adding to this vibe were six bold colors, including a new color, Turquoise Mica Metallic. The interior was supposed to be stylish, sporty, and gentle all at the same time.
Additional highlights of the body were flush surfaces, a sweeping hood, a high deck, and a drag coefficient of 0.32. This aero was not just good for looks, Toyota said, but also for fuel economy and for lowering wind noise. Helping Toyota achieve this aero was a set of front fender liners designed to divert airflow over the front tires in a more efficient manner.
Toyota saved money on the Cynos by raiding its own parts bin. According to a 1991 report by Popular Mechanics, the vehicle was based loosely on the then-new Tercel platform. Other components were robbed from the Corsa and the Corolla II.
Two twin-cam four-cylinder engines were available in the original Cynos, a 1.5-liter 5E-FE four with 105 ponies on tap and a 1.5-liter 5E-FHE with 115 horses in the power barn. Both of these engines had been proven in other Toyota models for years already, and brought nothing new to the Cynos, but did make it a little spicier than a Tercel. The juice reached the front wheels through either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual.
Backing the powertrain up were MacPherson struts up front and twist-beam following in the rear. In Japan, the Cynos Beta-grade with the slightly hotter engine also got semi-active dampers that used sensors measuring braking, acceleration, steering angle, and G-forces to adjust damping. All of this, Toyota said, was meant to let you truly enjoy the fun of driving.
Then there was the name. Toyota said that Cynos was derived from the English word “cynosure,” which means “someone or something that is the center of attention.” In international markets, the Cynos was sold as the Paseo, which is Spanish for a “walk” or “stroll.” I suppose if you were an American, Toyota didn’t exactly set your expectations very high. Still, here in America, the Paseo also replaced the Corolla SR-5 and the GT-S.
But that was fine. Part of the appeal of the Cynos/Paseo was that it was cheap. When Toyota launched the car in 1991 for the 1992 model year, it said that the Paseo would cost around $10,000. In addition to being an affordable car, it was cheap to insure and, depending on where you lived, it was cheaper to keep on the road. In Japan, this was smaller than Toyota’s larger fare, which meant that buyers had some tax benefits.
Popular Mechanics commented that the front seats were pretty roomy for six-foot adults, but the back seats were best for children or maybe a pet. The rear seats were really great at keeping your insurance agent from calling the Paseo a sports car. Sadly, the Paseo wasn’t as hot as its Japanese sibling, as the 5E-FE was brought down to 100 HP, and in states that adhere to California’s emissions standards, output was even lower at 93 ponies.
So, how well did Toyota execute the Paseo? Here’s automotive legend John Davis behind the wheel of one at MotorWeek:
If you don’t have six minutes to watch the review, I’ll sum it up quickly. Davis found the Paseo pretty adequate. Not really fast, not really too slow, and “econobox” handling that did not really match the looks. Even John Davis had to take a swipe at the backseat, saying that it was really best for cassettes for the stereo, because you weren’t getting an adult back there. Davis concluded that the Paseo delivered on its mission. It wasn’t a real sports car, but a sporty economy car with an attractive $9,988 starting price ($24,152 in 2026), a dependable drivetrain, great fuel economy, and fun dynamics.
Toyota said that the Paseo ended up being a hit with one particular demographic, from Toyota:
It was considered a “secretary’s car” in the North American market, due to its popularity among urban working women.
The Paseo was far from the hottest car in the Toyota lineup. Its best sales year was 1992, when Toyota moved 36,513 copies. A total of 94,187 Paseos were sold between 1991 and 1994.
More Of The Same
Toyota decided to follow the Paseo up by doubling down on a sequel.
In 1995, Toyota announced a second generation of the Paseo. In its announcements, Toyota said that the original Cynos was acclaimed for its “eye-catching looks” and “just right” size. So, Toyota decided to stick to the same formula for the car’s second edition. The new Paseo even raided the parts bin again, taking its platform and associated components from the Tercel, Corsa, and Corolla II again.
According to Toyota, the latest in computer-aided design (CAD-CAM) was used to upgrade the Cynos for its second generation, which upped the car’s quality and improved the manufacturing process. The Tercel had recently been restyled before the new Paseo, and the Paseo would get that car’s upgrades as well. Once again, the new Paseo targeted young folks who might have been buying their first new car.
Toyota produced a list of what made the new Paseo different from the old one:
– In profile, the new generation Cynos has all the hallmarks of a classic coupe: from the sleek headlamps, across the elegant, sloping roofline, back to the slim, separate tail lights. The smooth bodyline sweeping from nose to tail also provides for a low drag factor, thus lowering wind noise and boosting fuel economy. With an overall length of 4155 mm, and overall width of 1660 mm, the Cynos retains the compact dimensions that have made it a convenient, easy-to-handle coupe, especially in town driving. A total of seven exterior colors are available with the new Cynos. These include new and refined shine quartz toning (silver-based two tone colors) and the unique and fashionable light turquoise mica metallic (greenish) colors.
– Safety was paramount in the design of the new Cynos. The Cynos’ rigid new monocoque shell protects passengers from offset frontal collisions and complies with all current safety requirements in Japan. The bodyshell can even meet side collision impact standards on line to be introduced in Europe in the future. Slim rear quarter pillars which reduce blind angles, thus improving rear visibility, are an important preventive safety feature of the new Cynos. A rear wiper features on all models, either as standard or optional equipment. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) that stabilizes the car during panic braking is offered on all models at a new, low price. An LSD (limited slip differential) is available on Beta-grade models with manual transmission. A driver’s side front SRS airbag is standard on most models in the new Cynos range or available as an option.
– The Cynos’ attractive cabin blends style with practicality. The simple and slim front seats are well attuned with the compact coupe theme. For easier operation, the seat slide handle has been replaced by a loop type on the new model. For a sharp, sporty touch, the instrument panel features white colored (Beta-grade) instruments, such as speedometer and tachometer. For the cabin as a whole, gray is the theme color. With an eye to growing environmental concerns, the Cynos also debuts innovative new glass technologies to reduce glare in the cabin and the risk of sunburn. New UV-cut glass and solar-cut glass block out not only ultra-violet rays, but also solar radiation sources, especially infrared rays.
Here in America, the Paseo launched in the 1996 model year with the 5E-FE engine making a return. Sadly, in order to meet emissions standards, the engine remained detuned to 93 HP. The Paseo also gained over 60 pounds going into its second-generation, with Toyota saying that the car weighed anywhere between 2,028 and 2,138 pounds, depending on options.
Still, the car was received well. Here’s what the Auto Channel said of the Paseo in 1996:
APPEARANCE: Toyota has started more than a few styling trends in its time, but also has shown that it is no slave to them. The new Paseo is a good case in point. Its cousin, the Lexus coupe, started trends towards rounded styling and separate projector-beam driving lights that were picked up by many other car companies. Even the Toyota Celica, the Paseo’s big brother, shows these influences. The 1996 Paseo does not. It is leaner, crisper, and more angular than its predecessor, with thinner roof pillars and more glass area for better visibility. It is decisively a Toyota in appearance.
COMFORT: The interior of the 1996 Paseo is very appropriate for a modern entry-level sports coupe. It is sportingly spartan with contemporary colors, accents, and materials. Fit and finish is traditional Toyota – excellent. Black on white background instruments lend a dash of tradition. The instrument panel has been lowered for improved forward visibility, and radio and ventilation controls repositioned for better access. The front seats are supportive and comfortable. Rear seat passengers have their own storage spaces and cupholder, but rear seat passengers had better be short, as headroom is limited. The Paseo is a sports coupe, which means the rear seat is best used for cargo, and it folds down for trunk access and extra capacity. Air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, and a sunroof are all optionally available.
[…]
PERFORMANCE: The 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the 1996 Paseo is shared with the Tercel sedan. In typical Toyota fashion, it is a modern dual overhead cam, 16-valve design. Also in typical Toyota fashion, it is tuned for torque and flexibility rather than absolute maximum power. This makes the Paseo work as well with the four-speed automatic transmission as with the five-speed manual. Years ago, a small engine matched with an automatic transmission was an invitation to performance disaster. No longer it that true. The latest Paseo is a practical, civilized sports coupe.
The Auto Channel concluded by saying that the new Paseo was a good choice for a sports car fan on a budget. By most accounts, the Paseo sequel was like the first, and repackaged Tercel bits in a slightly more thrilling package. Otherwise, it was still the frugal car it was back in 1991, only sharper.
Chasing The Sun
But Toyota did have an ace up its sleeve. A month after the Paseo launched in September 1995, Toyota appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show with two concept cars. One was the Fun Runner II, and the other was the Convertible Cynos. The Convertible Cynos was supposed to be an add-on to the driving experience of the Cynos while also being the smallest full convertible offered by Toyota at the time.
To facilitate the creation of the Convertible Cynos/Paseo Convertible, Toyota rang up everyone’s favorite convertible conversion company, the American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) of Michigan. Toyota already had an existing relationship with ASC, which also cranked out the Toyota Celica Convertible.
Creating these drop-tops was rather convoluted. According to Toyota, Cynos and Paseo coupes would be completed in Japan. These cars featured reinforced rockers, beefed-up rear strut towers, and strengthened rear quarters.
They would then be shipped off to Long Beach, California, where ASC would slice off their roofs. During the conversion process, ASC added a manual four-layer soft top that, when closed, mimicked the coupe’s roofline. The doors were also modified, with the biggest noticeable difference being the addition of large quarter windows. Another change was the trunk lid, which was specific to the convertible. Once finished, Toyota says, the Convertible Cynos cars were loaded back onto a boat and shipped back to Japan.
The process was a little different for American Paseos, where completed cars were shipped off to Toyota dealers for sale. The whole conversion added only 143 pounds, and the roof was designed to be opened and closed by one person. As was typical of ASC conversions, the roof was fully functional, too, featuring a rear window with an electric defroster that automatically folded itself away with the rest of the roof.
The Paseo Convertible went on sale in October 1996 for the 1997 model year. The Auto Channel reviewed one, and I’m not at all surprised that its review was largely a repeat of the Paseo coupe review, but now with a drop-top.
ROADABILITY: With its low-slung stance, the Paseo convertible gives all of the good sensory inputs of a small sports car of the past. With a rigid, reinforced unit-construction chassis, it has none of the shakes and rattles that gave old cars “character.” It has nimble handling and is great fun to drive, particularly with the top down. Its front-wheel drive and insulated top design help make it a year-round car in all but the worst climates.
PERFORMANCE: The Paseo convertible shares its 1.5-liter, 93-horsepower engine with the coupe version. Like small sports cars through the years, it has enough power for enjoyable, zippy performance, and gets great gas mileage as well. It should be equally at home used for commuting or weekend pleasure trips. The standard 5-speed manual gearbox makes the Paseo convertible more of a sports car, but the torqey engine is perfectly capable with the optional 4-speed electronically-controlled automatic.
CONCLUSIONS: The new Toyota Paseo convertible combines top-down fun, good handling, and great gas mileage.
The second-generation Paseo had a base price of $13,838 ($29,046 in 2026). Adding the soft top increased that price to $17,200 ($36,102 in 2026). Layer on some options and it was possible to get the Paseo convertible up to $19,600 ($41,140 in 2026). Toyota marketed both the Celica and Paseo convertibles as great, graceful ways to catch some rays.
Crickets At The Toyota Dealership
Unfortunately for Toyota, it found few buyers who wanted a Paseo, period, much less an expensive convertible version. Toyota sold just 9,025 Paseos between 1996 and 1998. Of that lot, only 1,463 examples were the single-year 1997 Paseo convertibles. Amazingly, the number of Paseo convertibles sold in 1997 made up for slightly more than half of the 2,762 Paseos sold that year. The Paseo would survive until 1999 in other markets before Toyota threw in the towel.
For most people, the Paseo was a totally forgettable car, and the convertible may as well not even have existed. The only reason I still remember the Paseo is because of the mad tuner who strapped a giant blower to a Paseo engine and bolted it into a Smart Fortwo. But I couldn’t blame anyone for forgetting, or even just not knowing the car existed, because with 1,463 units being built, it’s rarer than many legitimate sports cars.
The Paseo convertible doesn’t show up for sale often, but when it does, you should be able to find a minty example for under $10,000 and a well-loved one for closer to $5,000. The Paseo convertible, like the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, has a small but happy group of fans that keep these cars around, so it’s unlikely they’ll ever be totally forgotten.
What I love the most about the Paseo convertible is just how normal it is. This isn’t a Miata or some million-horsepower supercar. It’s just a car. One that can return over 30 mpg and get you everywhere reliably. It’s a regular car that lets you enjoy some sun. While the Paseo convertible might be mundane, the world needs more cars like this, because even non-enthusiasts want to feel the wind in their hair sometimes.
Top graphic image: Toyota
Not sure why it’s stuck with me all these years, but if I’m not mistaken, the tagline for the Paseo was “A Very Practical Car”.
As a marketing strategy, it’s an interesting way to light a fire under people to get them to rush out and buy your product.
Another weird issue the Paseo had in the 90s in the US was that it was a 2+2 coupe, and insurance companies priced policies little different than actual sports cars.
I remember my cousin looking to get a used Paseo as a first car in the mid-2000s and insurance companies told her the insurance was not too dissimilar than a Corvette.
This wasn’t a 2+2 thing either, it was very much a Paseo thing. For example, an Eclipse was more expensive to insure than a Corolla, but Paseo insurance was crazy high (MUCH higher than an Eclipse) considering what it actually was.
She ended up getting a used Cavalier sedan instead.
TIL a Toyota was once based on an Opel:
“Other components were robbed from the Corsa and the Corolla II.”
😛
I remember the Paseo mostly as a disappointment. People bought Tigras and Pumas (we actually had one with the Yamaha engine).
I was going to say we only ever got it as a hardtop, but then you showed a press pic with an EDM Paseo convertible. Maybe they didn’t bother to sell it in Spain?
Back in the day, there were some concept drawings of the 3rd gen CRX floating around that may or may not have been real, which looked a lot like the Paseo. So there was a big conspiracy theory in the CRX community that when Honda got stupid and decided to do the Del
SoakSol instead of another hatch, Toyota swiped the visual design and made the Paseo, but forgot to make it fun to drive.Never knew (or cared) if there was any truth behind the rumors, but it was all over the CRX boards in the early 2000s.
$41k in 2026 freedom bucks for a 93 horsepower subcompact convertible is a hard sell here in the land that buys the biggest vehicle a monthly payment will stretch for. Even if it is entertaining to drive and is 1990’s Toyota quality. People had to want this exact blend of features to splash the cash for it.
And talk about how much tech advancement has occurred in 30ish years. $41k these days will buy a very well equipped EV with a panoramic glass roof. Not exactly a,convertible but probably close enough for most folks.
Back then, not everyone was obsessed with compensating for things by buying land barges. The Civic/CRX, Celica, 200SX, etc all did well, and you saw a lot more of them on the road than you did pickup trucks.
The problem was that for the same money, if you really wanted a small convertible you could get a VTEC Del Sol and have a lot more fun than in the Paseo.
Not to mention the Miata was a thing too.
Neither did they in Europe. Everyone bought Pumas and Tigras instead.
I remember reading about these in Car and Driver back in the day. Really born to be mild.
The thing I remember most about them was the short article on the even rarer electric Paseo, the Aesop. It was a one-off but kinda interesting, mostly for the name, since it was an anagram of Paseo.
I had forgotten the Paseo even existed. I didn’t miss it, I knew it at the time. It left no impression however, no warm spot where it had been sitting. That slot was immediately filled up with something else. Something else so entirely mundane, I’m not sure what it even was. Maybe a blender. Probably an appliance, anyway.
I don’t think Toyota could underscore just how pedestrian – and the meaning of Paseo couldn’t apply more appropriately to a car, I think – their car is than by sticking a big “Convertible” sticker on their convertible. This is the best you could do? This is the most enthusiasm you can muster for this not-that-special special version? By calling it out, again, directly beneath that very defining feature? Because certainly nothing else about this car attracts attention.
Uff da.
“The interior was supposed to be stylish, sporty, and gentle all at the same time.”
Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.
I remember the commercials for these airing all the time, just not the convertible version.