Oh yeah, the EPA ratings on the Civic are much better than the Sunfire with the 3speed.
As for what I'm doing with the Civic, I don't know quiet yet. Just from the ride home last night I really like how it drives versus the Sunfire. The suspension and handling is much nicer and the transmission feels quite a bit nicer too. However, there is definitely a part of me that would like to just flip the Civic for some quick cash. I also still want a manual transmission car and both are automatic. But, perhaps I should save that for getting the Tercel back on the road.