Is there any difference in the "feel" when flying different variants of fbw planes?
 

I saw an old thread where a 737 pilot who flew both the -700 and the -800 compared the flight handling characteristics of the two. Ofc, it was as ppl would generally expect, the -700 felt a bit more nimble, whereas the -800 felt a bit more "sluggish".

This made me wonder, is this also the case for more modern fbw airliners?

If we compare 2 fbw aircraft from the same family, for example the A318 compared to the A321, or maybe the 787-8 compared to the -10. In theory, in a fbw aircraft, the flight computers use a mix of pitch rate and G-command from the side stick deflection depending on the speeds (at least that's the case for airbus, I am not sure abt the Boeing's fbw), so except for the engine thrust, shouldn't the controls should feel exactly the same regardless of the size of the aircraft?

Ofc, there are some exceptions to this. For example in the A330, the designers purposely made the controls a bit sluggish so that pilots who transitioned from the older hydraulic wide bodies would better adapt to the (then newer) a330 platform, tho I do believe that was removed in the neo variant and never repeated again.

Definitely. The 767-200 felt much "lighter" than the -300. The higher wing loading created a more solid ride. A better comparison, and to your point about FBW, the 777-200LR had a much lighter feel to it in all phases of flight when compared with the 777-300ER. And if I dredge back some 30 years, the same was true of the A319/320/321 series. It's mostly all about the wing loading and I suppose that differing handling characteristics isn't something that FCC's can "massage" away.

From a subjective perspective:

A319: light and nimble, like a Ford Fiesta
A320: more like a Lincoln Continental, sluggish, but in a nice way.
A321: we need additional line training to fly those!

Very noticeable as well is the difference in rotation logic on the 320CEO and NEO. Pilots new to the NEO always rotate much faster the first time they take off in a NEO. There is also a marked difference in handling when the flaps are in transit from 1 to 2.

"Very noticeable as well is the difference in rotation logic on the 320CEO and NEO. Pilots new to the NEO always rotate much faster the first time they take off in a NEO"
Interesting, is that due to the rotation law in the NEO?. Also, why does the A321 require additional line training? Is it due to the tail strike clearance?

On the ground there is a direct relationship between side-stick input and elevator deflection.
One the CEO this direct relationship blends into the usual Flight Mode (pitch rate demand) a few seconds after becoming airborne.
The NEO is different. The NEO introduces a Rotation Mode from 70kts during the takeoff roll, which is a pitch rate demand. So the whole rotation is pitch rate in stead of direct control. It aims to homogenize rotation across different weights and CG whilst also reducing the chance of a tails trike. Rotation Mode subsequently blends into Flight Mode about ten seconds after liftoff. I’m sure real Airbus aficionados can offer a more technically correct explanation.

In practice, you just notice that the CEO rotates differently compared to the NEO. I was skeptical at first, but looking back it is indeed more homogenous, none of these nose heavy departures you sometimes encounter on other aircraft.

Operator specific, but yes. There are bad flare habits (late, snatched flare) that can manifest themselves in flying the A320, which if tried on the A321 would certainly give a hard landing.

Good analogy! The A320ceo, with sharklets, is the worst of the bunch in any sort of wind. The A319 is noticeably sharper in roll.

Apart from the mentioned changes Airbus introduced in rotation and flare modes, the whole A320 line flew identically as far as I recall.

Same for the 772 and 773 IMO.