Brakes should be plenty powerful enough, if they feel like they aren't biting, then they probably need to be changed.

If you are in 4th gear at 4krpm and mash the gas, it should move up in the revs fairly quickly. I usually shift before 4k on a normal day (unless I want to get a bit sporty) and still have no problems getting good acceleration. You might need to have a more thorough inspection done as perhaps new spark plugs and a new air filter may be needed. You could also be low on oil and the ECU may be exclusing VTEC use.

Depending on the year, mileage shouldn't be an issue. I bought an 05 with 53k miles on it and am now up to 60200 miles on it with no issues. With standard maintenance and good ownership, I expect my S to last to nearly 200k without any real/major issues.

Our clutch can be heavy, but not overly so. You may want to check to see if it was replaced with an aftermarket one.

The cockpit is loud and you will hear alot of road noise. Honda is notorious for road noise issues - its a byproduct of having something so firmly planted on the road. I'll take that anyday over a vehicle that doesn't maneuver as well. A different set of tires might help with road noise. The engine will be loud in the cockpit unless you put some sound deadening material - but honestly, the sound is one of the greatest pleasures of the S. I took my sound deadening off and haven't regretted it one bit. Also, with a soft top, wind noise will be high. Only way to solve that is to either tighten the top or replace it with a hard top.

Most importantly, get the S that you are most comfortable with. Ride them, get them checked out and make sure you know the history it has. Enjoy it and never look back!