TBH, i'm in the same boat as you Tobamory, coming back to the hobby after 20+ years. You really really can't compare the old motors to the new ones in any meaningful way. My first cheap as chips RTR brushless was probably almost as quick as the old Modified cars 25 years ago.
What i've ended up with is 3 motors, (basically) 6.5, 8.5 and 10.5.
Indoors i use the 10.5 in 2WD and 8.5 in 4WD.
Once we go outside, the 8.5 goes in the 2WD and the 6.5 goes in the 4WD.
With boost and gearing changes i can muck around almost endlessly with the performance, but selecting a more suitable motor to start with makes the car much more driveable.
(a 6.5 in a 2WD is only fun for those watching from a safe distance. I know this from bitter experience.
)