NEW CONVERTIBLES PUT AFFORDABLE PRICE ON FUN : TEST DRIVE.

Byline: Al Haas Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Winter is getting too boring and depressing. Let's think about the rites of spring, the most joyful of which is buying a convertible.

The current convertible is a lot stronger, quieter and less drafty than its ancestors and is fitted with much better heat and sound insulation.

When I was a kid, convertible roofs were typically a single layer of cloth. The new Toyota Paseo convertible, the cheapest rag top on the market, has a four-ply insulated top.

Although they cost considerably more than their coupe counterparts and are out of reach for many young buyers, convertibles can be affordable for a lot of people. I've found some nice ones for under $25,000, including several under $20,000.

Toyota Paseo ($16,728). The Paseo, Toyota's sporty small car, goes topless this year.

Equipped with an easy-to-use manual top, the new Paseo convertible is a cute, even sleek, little rag top with a reasonable amount of athleticism.

The car is nimble in the corners, and its 1.5-liter, 93-horsepower four makes this very light car (2,148 pounds) fast enough to be fun - and quite economical. The Paseo cloth top has EPA mileage ratings of 30 city and 35 highway.

Chevrolet Cavalier ($17,765). The Cavalier is a recently redesigned, high-value small car that's available as a sedan, coupe and convertible.

The cloth-roofed model is a cutie and a spunky performer. It's certainly lively enough with the 2.2-liter, 120-horsepower base engine.

Fit it with the optional 2.4-liter engine, a 16-valve twin-cammer that twists up 150 horsepower, and you'll have fun, fun, fun till the Grinch takes your C-bird away.

Pontiac Sunfire ($18,899). This is basically a Cavalier with a prettier body and more standard equipment.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder ($19,940). This is a grabby, topless version of Mitsubishi's popular small sport coupe. Unlike the coupe, which is shared with Chrysler Corp. as the Eagle Talon, the Spyder is available only in Mitsubishi stores.

Like the coupe model, the Spyder is offered as a relatively mild-mannered highway citizen, and as a turbocharged terrorist. The base Spyder GS, which starts at $19,940, has a standard suspension and tires, and a 141-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine. The GS-T ($25,780) has a higher-performance suspension and tires, and a turbocharged 2-liter four that develops 210 horsepower.

Chrysler Sebring ($20,150). This stronger, slicker successor to the LeBaron convertible is a gorgeous open car.

The Sebring is available as the base JX model ($20,150) or as the more upscale JXi ($24,660). The JXi has more standard gear, and substitutes a fabric top for the JX's vinyl one, and a 168-horse, 2.5-liter V-6 for the cheaper car's 2.4-liter, 150-horse four.

Ford Mustang ($20,755). The handsomely carved Mustang is a pony car that hails from the '60s. The current car's spiritual connection with that era persists, as does its muscularity, but this is essentially a modern sporting machine.

The 'Stang comes in three forms: the base model ($20,755), which is powered by a merely adequate 3.8-liter, 150-horsepower V-6; the performance-minded GT ($23,985), which has a 4.6-liter, 215 horsepower V-8 and a sportier suspension, and the really hot Cobra ($28,160), which sports a 305-horse version of the GT's V-8.

Chevrolet Camaro ($21,770). Another comely pony car, the Camaro is only sold in two flavors: the base car ($21,770), and the Z28 ($25,520).

The base mobile is powered by a 200-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 that gives the car some of the performance of the V-8-powered Z28 without the latter's higher insurance premiums and price tag ($25,520). But if you're willing to take the price and premium hit, the 285-horsepower Z28 will reward you with exciting handling and acceleration.

Pontiac Firebird ($23,084). The sexy Firebird is essentially a Camaro with a different body and interior, and more standard equipment. Like the entry-level Camaro, the base Firebird rag top ($23,084) is powered by the 3.8-liter V-6. Unlike the Camaro, the Firebird is available in two high-performing models: The Formula, which uses the base car's body ($26,524), and the more aggressively styled and more heavily equipped Trans Am ($28,444).

Toyota Celica ($24,378). Introduced in the 1996 model year, the convertible version of Toyota's attractive sporty coupe.

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Photo: 1997 Toyota Paseo has EPA mileage ratings of 30 city and 35 highway.