As I understand it, there has been an evolution of all frame materials and frame designs.
Back in the 80's and 90's, Aluminum apparently had a reputation for being too noodly.
In the early 2000's, stiffness was key.
Then, back in the 2010's, there has been a re-emphasis on flex where you want it, and stiffness where you want it to be stiff. And, that is hitting several different frame materials and bike styles.
Of course, as mentioned above, tires are also very important.
There are a lot of different bikes from pure racing road bikes to endurance road bikes to flat bar bikes to hybrids to mountain bikes.
Before giving any specific advice, one would have to consider your personal goals. Steep Hill climbs, distance, "centuries", fast group rides, casual bike path rides by the river, GRAVEL, etc.
I still am partial to the skinny tires, but I am willing to consider viability of wider options.
But, back to your analogy, I'd rather pedal the ragtop convertible sports car
down the road than try to get the semi-truck up to speed.
