Avanti pioneer 2007 vs 2009

Hi Everyone,
I am new here and rather need your help. I have a 2007 avanti pioneer - 1st hybrid bike - which has always felt a little short (front to back, not height)
I had the chance to hop on a 2009 avanti pioneer and wondered why it felt so fantastic, compared to my own.
It LOOKED the same, but I have since found that about the only difference is that the measurement of the bar that the seat sits on (technical, aren't I? lol) is 44cm on the 2009 bike and 39cm on my own. Apparently the top bar is pretty much the same.
Why then, does the 2009 bike feel so different? It felt different enough that I started searching all over it (thus finding the sticker on the frame that read 'M 44cm" while my 2007 model reads 'M 39cm'

I have now sold my 2007 bike and plan to get a 2009 model but am woried I might have been dreaming such a difference could exist with so few cms.
Can someone explain to me a little about bike eregonomics?
thankyou so much

CM and inches mean a lot in bike fit. If the newer bike feels better, it fits better. Like shoes, if you wear a 9 1/2, a size 9 feels too small.

Thanks, Peter. I have bitten the bullet and ordered the bike. The wonderful Avanti service is enough to sway me that way, though really, I should try some other brands. Brand loyalty is a bit like tunnel vision and I have to confess to it!

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

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