Help me understand the difference…

I just purchased a Schwinn Axum for my growing son. My husband just got a Roscoe 7 from trek that he’s been riding around on while waiting on his bike. He really does not like the Schwinn. He said that when he pedals it feels like he has to pedal a decent amount more just to get to the same place as the Roscoe, even though he’s in the same gears he said it almost feels like gliding not work on the Roscoe.
I’m on the fence of whether I should return the bike. I found a used specialized rock hopper that’s a 2022., a giant Talon 1 (2022) as well. The thing is is I don’t know what the problem is and what to look for.. It looks like the drive chain set up is fairly similar.. ?
I know obviously the price of Roscoe was way different than a Schwinn so I’m trying to see what would be a good option even if it’s used that I could do.. I will include the specs of the drive chain, etc. I just don’t understand the information enough to know what is making the difference in feeling.
Thank you guys so much for all of your help and I am thankful I have this group to learn 💜 .