How's the Sham and the Pharaohs? (Sorry, obscure joke.)
OK, give us some more basic info on the car's engine. You say you're not an engine-head, but are the basics looked after? I mean, is the oil changed, the plugs checked, radiator OK, are the air and fuel filters good?
Overheating can cause loss of power. A badly worn valve train can really sap grunt. How many K's on the clock for the engine? As I mentioned, the EGR valve is a thing best removed. A restrictive exhaust can slow you down. Tranny (auto) wear will produce sluggishness at take-off or under load.
An EGR block-off plate can be made or bought from a wrecker. Do this, check and change any neglected filters, do the plugs (they never come correctly gapped in the box), check the leads are OK and the rotor button, too. A quick tune-up by hand/ear, and you've spent less than $100, most likely.
There's plenty more that can be done - just hang in there, feed us info, and enjoy the ride! At the other end of the process, you'll be able to pass on what you've learned.
Cheers, Adam.