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I managed to do it in a beater 1995 Nissan Sentra GXE with the GA16DE engine and 4 speed automatic. During a trip from Tampa to Daytona Beach, FL, I managed to get 55mpg. On the return leg I hit 52 mpg. This wasn't a fluke either as I managed to repeat 50+ mpg several times after that. How? I drove at 70 mph the whole way with the windows up and A/C off. I set the cruise control and just let it go from there (I-4 is pretty flat). Tire pressure was set at 50 psi, but the car was otherwise stock. It even had a bashed in quarter panel, no hubcaps and was missing the grille. It is important to note that I had a 4 speed overdrive automatic with a lock up torque converter while I think your Tercel only has a 3 speed.
The oddest thing about the car though was that it would never get better than 26 mpg in the city no matter how hard I tried. It was a pizza delivery car and so it saw a lot of stop and go. However, no matter how ugly the car may have been, I always took good care of it and did the proper maintenance. It died in a bad accident a few years ago otherwise I would still be driving it.
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No green technology will ever make a substantive environmental impact until it is economically viable for most people to use it. This must be from a reduction in net cost of the new technology, not an increase in the cost of the old technology through taxation
(Note: the car sees 100% city driving and is EPA rated at 37 mpg city)
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