Which way to go?

[rick3000]

The 986 (Boxster) rear trunk was designed to fit a set of golf clubs, so it will definitely fulfill that requirement. That said, the maintenance on a Porsche will generally cost more than a Miata.

As much as I would like to recommend a Boxster, it sounds like you are looking for whichever car will be less troublesome to own. While the majority of Boxster's only require regular maintenance, when they do require work, it can be expensive. So I would probably suggest a Miata, solely because it will be cheaper to own. But if you don't mind spending the extra money when it is needed, very few cars can match the handling of a Boxster for the price.

[bwdz]

Although you can get golf clubs in the back of a boxster they don't really fit. First off they will not fit with the bag. You have to put your driver and woods in first as they require some finagling to squeeze in. After your clubs are in there is a little room left for the bag. I drive with the bag in the front seat. Only if I go to the driving range and I take like 4 or 5 clubs with me do I try to squeeze them in the trunk.
Miatas require nearly no maintenance. Porsche seems to require a bit more according to most people but I have yet to experience any of it in my first year of ownership but the car only had 64k on it when I bought it with fresh brakes and service. Having said that, Miatas of similar vintage of late 90s are mostly rusty at least here in Michigan. Porsche is galvanized and built much nicer. The car is much more solid IMO. I had a 95 Miata and now have the 97 Boxster and I can tell you it is a night and day diffence. Miata is no where near as solid of a feel and has zero torque compared to a Boxster. Other than they are both good handling cars and have 2 seats and a drop top they are not in the same category anywhere else. One feels like a higher end car the other feels like a cheap compact that performs well.