New thermostat on 1994 Toyota Tercel runs quite a bit warmer than old one. Is this ok,?

Did the "old" one produce proper heat in the winter? and is the new one the same temp range 180- degree, as the one that was replaced? Engines need heat to prevent wear is the gauge reading in the SAFE zone?

The old one ran perfectly for 23 years. I got an answer today from the shop when I went in to get the engine temp tested. The mechanic said he researched it on the net. For about 3-4 years, 1993-96? Toyota Tercels all ran cool. Their temperature gauges all said 1/4 rather than the standard 1/2 btwn C and H. Then a new model thermostat replaced the old one and after that the gauge always shows at 1/2. He said my car is an anomaly in this. They tested the engine after a lot of driving and it showed 210° cooling to 175° after the coolent kicked in. I drove it a lot today and the needle went to 1/2 and stayed the entire time. I am hoping it is fine. Thank you for your interest. I don't know where on the net this info is, but it sounds legit. Thoughts?? FYI my Tercel is a 1994.