Why is my Prizm slower?

[dgoodhue]

I recently drove a 2002 Corolla LE rental car (body shop loaner), that was in much rougher shape than my car. I was kind of surprise that it was noticably faster than my 02 Prizm. It had similiar options, stock steel wheels, and no engine mods. My Prizm has been fully tuned up, new O2's and Synthetic Oil (trans/engine) and I have had it for the last 50K miles. (My engine doesn't burn oil either) My car has always been like this and this was the first auto Corolla/Prizm besides mine that I have driven. (I test drove 3 other 5 speeds at the time)

So I am trying brain storm why that might be. My inital thought is maybe the base timing is different. Is the crank postion sensor adjustable (or their a procedure to set it). It seems like VVT-i is just done mechanically with oil pressure. I don't think I have a weak coil pack and bad injector (or its been like this since owned it).

[fishexpo101]

Could just be production variances - some cars just run a little hotter than others. The timing is set by the ECM - no adjustability unless you install a piggyback EMS or go standalone. Also some production like changes - I know on the Corollas - in 2000+, they revised the injector design from the old 4-old to newer 12-hole for better fuel atomization. Not positive that the Prism followed suit - just assuming they did.