[Gohan Ryu]

I haven't done a swap but I currently own a 92 si and a 96 vtec. The vtec and the si feel almost exactly the same until vtec hits at ~5000 rpm, then it's a kick in the ass neck snapper until ~7500 rpm. The si just pulls slightly (nothing like the vtec) until around 6500 rpm. So while the si's powerband dies at just over 6k, the vtec is still pulling hard in the middle of it's powerband.
Huge difference. The vtec is waaaay better.