You'll need such proof to get satisfaction eventually. It's not fair, of course. But it ain't so. Don't shut up and don't give up. Torque is, generally speaking, low-speed power.
Horsepower is high-speed power.
Indy race cars and Formula 1 racers have lots of HP and go 200 mph, but not much torque and sometimes stall in the pits when the driver engages the clutch. They'll pull stumps, but can barely hit the engine speed governor's 96 mph top end. Lots of modifications are aimed at HP, and enthusiasts mistakenly buy them with high hopes, but find they must rev their engines mercilessly to see any difference. I've heard very different opinions. I like the package a lot.