I have a '96 cali roofed ti and it is THE reason I bought the car. Plenty of other more powerful hatches out there, but this feature sets it apart IMO. Anyone who drives one in nice weather will be impressed- most of what you get with a convertible with the security and function of a hatch.
As far as durability we had a rain/hail storm here this past summer that felt like the second coming. I was really scared to walk out to my car with the soft top and all. It was fine like the rest of the car. I have also driven it thru more than a few touchless car washes and it does fine there also. Actually it's a good test to see if the top seals leak when you go to buy. Just tell the owner you'd like to buy them a car wash.
Cross winds are noisier than head winds with the top open. Inside is fully lined woven stretchy cloth. Outside is woven material. Seals are known to leak in the corners but the fix is easy. More prone to poor tracking etc than a regular roof but mine has been bulletproof for 3 years.
Where are you? I'm in Cleveland OH.