Don't forget that bike fit influences bike handling. A smaller frame with a longer seatpost and stem will handle differently than a larger frame with a shorter seatpost and stem, even if the static fit is the same. Which setup one prefers is, of course, a matter of taste, but they will be different.

I prefer the handling of a larger frame... less twitchy / turny, more swoopy / carvy. The bigger bike feels like it turns more around the bottom bracket, the smaller frame more around the headset. Sorta kinda maybe... it's tough to describe, but easy to feel when riding.

--Shannon