Matrix is Peppy - Vibe is not

My wife and I are in the market for a used Matrix or Vibe. We have driven three Matrix's (2005 and 2006) and one Vibe (2007) All of the Matrix's feel nice and peppy with decent performance; whereas, the Vibe felt heavier and a bit more sluggish. From everything I can gather, these two vehicles should be almost identical in drive and performance. The cleanest, newest, least km and the best deal is the Vibe. However, we simply did not enjoy driving it as much as any of the Matrix's. So is this normal? Are Vibes just not as spunky as the Matrix?