I would say that's a massive oversimplification of the difference between the two. Not only the physics, but also the level design and flow are very different, especially in the 3D games. Momentum is something gained and lost very quickly in 3D Mario games, with Mario changing his speed and even going full stop as needed on a regular basis to suit the platforming, often in less linear level design that encourages exploration.
Sonic on the other hand is about deciding what speed you want to move at and holding onto that speed long term, whether that be a casual jog through a level to search for goodies or charging through full speed, using that speed to skip whole platforming segments in linear levels. Depending on your speed, what pathways are available to you in a level can be very different, whether that be because of momentum or reaction time.
Nonetheless, I do actually prefer hub worlds in 3D Sonic games, provided they aren't painfully huge and slow like in 06. They are a chance for a nice change of pace between levels, generally being more chill than the hectic action the rest of the game has.
In regards to SA1/DX's physics, I do think it controls fantastically for the most part, with a higher skill ceiling than most other 3D Sonic games. However, the limitations of the physics forcing certain segments to be scripted is a very unfortunate downside, and collision leaves a lot to be desired in much of the level design itself. One would expect this to have been remedied in SA2, but unfortunately the impression I generally get from playing that game is that they actually made the problem worse. Sonic and Shadow's stages are even more linear than Sonic's stages in SA1, and the potential to make use of the physics to skip sections is, while still there, much more limited. Modding SA1 stages into SA2 (Such as Emerald Coast) further exposes how limited the physics feel in comparison.
