The trench run is more dramatic than the tube run because we rapidly get to know almost all the pilots through the clever character ticks I keep mentioning.
Who can forget the "Stay On Target" guy?
They should have put "There's too many of them!" guy down the tube instead of the exploding moustache man.
That way when he is 'hiiiiiiitttt!' i would care more about the conclusive battle.
Another reason it works better is graphics.
The trench has a direction leading to the target so simple kids like me could draw it.
The genius of Star Wars is in it's instantly recognisable design.
Bad guys fly H shapes where as good guys fly X or Y shapes.
Good pilots wear red... baddies wear black.
The trench is single point perspective at speed.
In Jedi there are too many ship types, too many uniform types, it's just a bit of a jumble.
Exciting but not as iconic as
The tubes have three levels but they are too complicated for the eye to instantly make out.
We have already had the good guys blowing up reactors two times in Jedi before we get to the Death Star one.
It would have made a refreshing change if Piett had rammed the Death Star with the Executor to save his fleet from the Emperor blowing up Endor.
A giant city sized dart cutting into the exposed (and now unshielded) unfinished side of the station would have been more unexpected than the Rebels blowing up shit again.
It would have looked good too and paved the way to peace talks.