llama speaks the truth. You probably saw my F-Sport review thread. It's a good setup and handled well. However, with the type of cars on this board, you will be tempted to go lower. Just get coils.

 

Out of all this the OP should find something useful here.

 

yes, we all want whats best for fizzy

 

+1.. I have seen so many people regret buying springs. The drop is just not enough. What they don't understand is that they have to pay more money to switch up from springs to coilovers when they can actually save the hassle and money just buying coilovers to begin with.

 

while i'm sure every 2is owner w/ lowering springs would consider coilovers, i suppose you haven't taken into consideration how much more coilovers would cost. just to help you with that, the cost differential of lowering springs and coilovers ranges anywhere from ~$500 to $1k+, depending on brand and/or functionality.

and to save you time on this discussion, you can make the argument that a 2is owner will save money by not having to pay for a second install and a second alignment if a 2is owner went with coilovers instead of lowering springs. however, for someone crossing over from lowering springs to coilovers, selling the lowering springs will recover some of its value, and that amount can be applied to the cost of a second install job and alignment, so the actual "savings" from going to springs to coilovers are in reality aren't as much as you may think.

again, afford > need > want. not every 2is owner has deep pockets, and not every 2is owner needs and/or wants coilovers.

 

Oh totally! This thread has served it's purpose a million times over and will continue to. I should take this time to thank every poster here who took the time to read and respond with their knowledge. I could not have done any of this project without all the contributions. To think I lived through a time when modding research was nill (pre-internet) and one could not gain the opinions of others is crazy. I'm quite gratefully (and now spoiled)!

Over to the car...I'm still loving the look of the new ride height! It's just about the same height as my previous 2003 Audi A4 with factory sport package. For a second there, I had a de ja vu driving around the other day.

I'll say one minor negative is the car no longer appears "new" with the altered look. That new look was something big for me and preserving a car as long as I could has always been a challenging and fun "hobby" of sorts. Now that it's lowered, it's officially customized, and does not have that as-delivered new car factory look. So going through some slight mourning there. But that's minor and the new sleek look makes up for it times five.

More updates to come as I resolve the bugs and thanks again for the Q & A's. CL is really a great place to be.

 

Modding your car is expensive to begin with. But bottom line, people who swapped from springs to coilovers wasted more money in comparison with people who just bought coilovers to begin with. It isn't always about the money, time is precious to many people.

Basically it is just like a IS250 owner who regrets buying it and want something faster --> IS350.

To break down the price: installation is $200-$300 by reputable shop. $100-$150 for alignment. Springs cost $200. That already cost ~$500. Then let's say you want to switch to coilovers. You pay $200-$300 for installation again. And then alignment. Extra ~$300?

 

not everyone has the budget for coilovers. i think i implied that when i pointed out the cost differential between springs and coilovers.

also, not everyone has the need for coilovers. unless you're a track freak, like adjusting your ride height every other week, want that perfect flush look, and/or must have that extra marginal handling advantage, coilovers are overkill.

it's not wasting money. if you want to play, you have to pay.

on the other hand, you can recoup some of that money spent on springs when you cross over to coilovers by selling those springs.

 

I had my doubts at first, but I'm actually happy with the outcome with the F-Sport springs on my car. I noticed the reduction of wheel to fender gap on my car right away. Overall, this set up works well for me because I have to drive through rough roads to get to work (my office is in a construction yard). If I didn't have to drive on such roads, I would go even lower.

 

I've found some other pluses from the drop...
1) Since car sits lower, it's easier to clean the roof.
2) The satellite antenna shows more with that region being lower and more visible. I love the look of that thing! =D
3) Possibly better fuel economy with less wind resistance (?).

Newly discovered negatives...
1) Since car rides closer to the road, more chips to the front area and windshield.
2) Since car sits lower, harder to reach down to bottom areas for cleaning (my achin back!).

 

Yep. Your front bumper/front lip is gonna get F'ed up. You should see mine! I will do a respray at the beginning of next year then clear bra it.

 

yeah go with coils!!
even though i only got springs
lol
i mean go with AR!!