I’m not going to argue what’s better, but here’s some info:
It’s not even close. A 1st gen coupe like his is about 2500lbs or so. The SRT-4 is 2900+. It’s about like the difference between a GC and a GD (comparing an early impreza to a new one for the non subaru types reading this).
It wouldn’t be that terribly expensive to get an early neon like that to the level of a stock SRT. Most of the SRT-4 engine parts are really cheap.