my ebay short ram, which i chose over a cold air after an entire threads worth of debate, uses a 3" k&n universal cone filter. i just have yet to replace the filter.

the sri/cai argument boiled down to the fact that yes, colder air is better, but by a marginal amount, and it may require modification to fit.
an sri is a simpler install, basically just a shorter tube, that will give close to the same gains and will minimize the risk of the intake sucking up water into the engine because it doesnt extend all the way down to the underbody where the water would be when its raining.

i figured sri, but those are the pros and cons.