What should I buy

[FUHRIUS]

no one can tell you which is better for you.
you'll find a very enthusiastic group of boxster owners here...the car certainly pleases most who are fortunate enough to own one.
I'd focus a lot less on 'the numbers' and mag write ups and a lot more on what fits your taste. The performance numbers only tell part of the story...who runs quarter miles in real life anyway? No magazine can tell you what the different cars feel like as you exit a corner, get on the gas, and eagerly approach the next...braking hard, finding a line, and getting through the next corner, etc, etc... you can only feel that by driving the cars and sensing what fits your style better.

But since you asked what *we* think, I'll say these few things:
The Boxster is an incredible car. I worked in the auto industry for many years and have driven many cars, but few, if any, have inspired such feelings in me. The car is an almost flawlessly executed example of what this car was designed to be...a driver's car, no compromises. Sure, there are 'faster' cars if you define fast by 0-60 or 1/4 mile times...but I'll argue all day long that there is no 'faster' car than the boxster in the kind of driving I find myself enjoying the most...twisty mountain roads. The car has a spirit and poise about it that's magical...it's 'lack of power' is, in fact, a perfect match for the car...and in even the least capable of hands, this car moves with uncanny confidence. The handling balance and braking are phenomenal, and with minor tweaks to the breathing on the 986's, these cars get very quick and sound incredible. I bought mine second hand from a guy who'd done tons intake and exhaust work, and the sound of this thing as it revs high in the range is incredible...truly incredible....and I've mostly favored big V-8's over the years.
On top of all that, there simply isn't a more beautiful car on the road today, in my eyes.

You won't go wrong if you choose the car that fits your tastes the best (vs focusing on what other people think). And you're likely not to go wrong with a boxster, no matter what your tastes are.