Looking for a beater and found an appropriately priced Paseo on craigslist. Not a car I've ever really looked at so I don't know much about them. Are they as generally reliable as other Toyotas that era? Is the backseat big enough to hold a car seat in a pinch? I'm assuming gas mileage is in the 30MPG range?
Here's the car for reference:
http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/2023632296.html
thanks!
Jacques
The Paseo is basically a "sport bodied" Tercel. And, just bodied, the running gear is all the same as the Tercel so not a lot of "hop-up" potential but a good runner just the way it is.
The back seat is going to be the big question. Though it technically has one, the back seat is pretty hypothetical. If you add a seat for jr. expect not much leg room and not much head room for him.
Can't help you with the Paseo, but thanks for not saying "Learn me". 
A million years ago, I raced one with my bone stock '89 Mazda 626 which the factory rated at 110 HP. I believe the Paseo was rated at 100 HP. He didn't beat me by much, but he inched ahead of me just off the line and pulled slowly until I got out of it.
I agree with jrw1621's comment about being a good runner as it is.
The car wouldn't be my choice for a family vehicle, but then I like a larger vehicle than some on this board.
Thanks for the info so far. It wouldn't be a primary family car. I have a Volvo wagon to haul the kid around but I would like to be able to put a car seat in it if I needed to. It's replacing my beater Civic and I only had to put the car seat in that two or three times in 8 months.
Jacques
Here is the answer, the 4 door Paseo. Just a couple of bucks more but the Ac works and certaily the miles can not be higher than the first one.
http://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/2021099344.html
bravenrace wrote:Can't help you with the Paseo, but thanks for not saying "Learn me".
Amen.
I don't respond to "Learn Me" posts.
m
I like Paseos. They're underpowered turdboxes, but somehow, they are still more than capable of putting a smile on your face.
They get good gas mileage, and they're extremely reliable.
Size is about the only downside to them.
My sister had one new...other than the typical early '90's Toyota red paint fade and being sloooow....it was a pretty decent litle car.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-tercels/19000/page1/
There is a couple page thread on Tercels.
Should work well as putting a baby seat in the rear, it's fairly spaceous. Anyone that is 5' tall won't fit without occasionally knocking their noggin' on the rear window.
The paseo has a 1.5 twincam 16 with 110hp, has a 19mm front swaybar, bigger brakes (15% bigger pistons and 30mm bigger discs if i remember) and a much nicer interior than a tercel of that model year. Usually a sunroof too. Where as the tercel has a slowpoke 1.5 single cam 12 valver, bullet proof, I get 6.4 Liters/ 100km on my usual drive.
One thing I noticed when my kids were young, is that it was easier to get them into the car seat in my Civic hatch that my wife's 4 door Integra. This was because I could hold them facing me and put them directly into the seat. With Integra I had to hold them in an unconfortable position, lift them over the side of the seat, and fasten them in from the side. Many people automatically think they need a 4 door, but when they're that young I prefer a 2 door. When they're older, who cares, they're kids!
