I have to agree that coilovers are the way forward, no matter how hard or soft they are. Thats if you want to get the best out of your car regardless of comfort. They are certainly bearable and I have the same harsh single country roads that Ryno mentioned. Decent shocks and springs in the world wont compare to the full limit good coilys can take imo when cornering hard. I also think that you get truer road feel. Saying this, they only come into their own once you start to pick up speed where you get the real benefits. The starlet is not particularly made for straight roads (unless you are building a dragstrip monster) so coilovers give you a real advantage on hard & fast cornering say 70-100mph depending on the type of corner. Of course coilovers alone wont get you this ability without the rest of the suspension setup and balls of steel I say this being my mates vti with the s+s setup, the ride is bumpier and also he cant take corners as harshly w/o braking. I would say his shocks are similar to Konis. Coming from a handling junky, I wont be satisfied until I have an even stiffer ride. Very good group buy on Whiteline Gear ending soon >> Whiteline GB On a lighter note, here's those t-shirts >>Get your T-Shirts! They are all selling really fast!! Joz