LOL, so true, Jazziette. The car analogy is a good one, and my statement would more appropriately be compared to trying to make a 4 cylinder Honda go as fast as a V8 Corvette. You might come reasonably close here and there, but by and large, you will fall far short, because it's just not equipped to do that.
And as to your mention of always knowing what you've done that makes a noticeable impact, the majority of people do not take the time to get familiar with all the little quirks, the ins and outs, and really UNDERSTAND their equipment. This is something I see every single day as a technical person. This is why things like viruses and spyware run rampant on PC's, because users make little or no effort to educate themselves, and thus are oblivious to easy fixes and defenses, and just performance in general.