I have a new (used) MAF sprayed a few times recently with MAF cleaner, so my air intake should be about as efficient as possible while staying under $75/keeping the car looking stock, i.e.: no hood scoop.
I emailed Pete (original poster of the Air Intake Mod thread linked to above) to ask him how the spoiler-level intake worked for him over the years. Six years on I don't expect him to reply, but if he does it'll be interesting. I might go the "low" route like he did. Denver gets very little rain + if I do it I'll add a very complex mechanical defeat to the hose: a hole in the tube up near the airbox with tape covering it.
If I do find myself in very wet weather/puddles, I'll simply open the cool air defeat "system" and there will be no chance of pulling water up.
Still, I may go with the higher up route near the top, where the stock intake is, like tjts1. Less tube routing headaches.
