When I had my impreza I had to hire a van to move some furniture about, it was a renualt tdi something, honestly when I got back in my impreza later that day I wonder why it was so slow?? the van had so much grunt but no speed, this may be how you're feeling, your TDI may have felt quicker off the mark but I bet if you sat your old car up against your VR you'd watch your VR dispear into the distance, tdis are very deseptive in how they deliver power and most of the time feel quicker than what they really are.