I agree, a 986 Boxster feels a lot after in terms of an accident than an NB Miata. Truthfully I’m not a fan of convertibles in general, and having owned a 2005 Boxster (987) I can vouch for the fact that I almost never had the top down. However, the Boxster has a charm all of it’s own, and yes it’s not a 911, but I don’t think that detracts from the car. Moreover, the values of used Boxsters are so much lower than 911’s that it makes it a “relative” bargain :-)

I’ve now driven a few 986.1 cars, and I’m getting more of a feel for them. They are solid, and the steering really has feel, and weight. First car in a while where parking felt like effort, and I liked that. I’m leaning towards a 2.7 base as there is a price premium for the 3.2 S and I’d rather put the money towards maintainance. Will keep looking.

You can buy a car with a hard top or add one later. I use my hardtop in the winter and it makes the car feel more solid. It is also substantially more quiet.

I do like to put the top down on back roads when the weather is right.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions :-) I'm finding the following:

(1) 1999-2002 Boxsters in the 100k miles range from $5k-$10k
Maybe great "bang for the buck" but I'm cautious about the mileage, and $3k-$4k for the IMS and other issues is a fair chunk of the new purchase price

(2) 2003-2004 Boxsters in the 50k miles range from $12-18k
Feels like a lot more money, esp if I include $3k-$4k for the IMS and other stuff, but these cars are newer and have the glass rear window

(3) 1999-2002 911's in the 100k miles range in the $20-$30k range
Just feels expensive, but I'm looking at these for reference, and they need the same attention a 986 would