Opinion On Koni Struts For Mazda 3

[RG59061]

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone outfitted their 3 with Koni Struts? I am in need of replacing mine as one has begun to leak and think the Koni FSD Kit would be a great option. Especially when my dealer wanted $250.00 per strut for just the
Front!

If you have fitted them to your 3, then what are your thoughts, opinions, feelings, and overall satisfaction? I would really appreciate your comments.

 

[major error]

While you may not be racing your vehicle, I still find this rather telling on the quality of the parts we put on our cars...

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets6.html

It's the main reason I started looking for info on Bilsteins for the 3

 

[RG59061]

Thank you for the information. That was quite informative and surprising.

Making me really consider the Bilstien Shocks now.

 

[Chibana]

You do have to consider that that article is one source, and you can probably find many others that seem to have just as much experience, and may say very different things. Without knowing the individual personally, you have to take everything said with a grain of salt, just like any information found on the web. They key is to research as much as possible. I've been into cars for a very long time, and KONI Sports have always been highly recommended if you're looking for a good, reasonably priced, damper. That was the main reason I went with them. They were highly recommended by the person I spoke with (via email) from Racing Beat as a good match for their springs for the 3. Racing Beat is one of the most well respected, experienced Mazda shops in the world. I've come to trust them to a very high degree, which is also one of the reasons I went with not only the KONI Sports but also the Racing Beat springs (all purchased from Steve at NSN, whom I also highly recommend). For my upcoming recreational car in two years or so, I'll likely research a much more expensive suspension setup, since it will see occasional track duty, and will not be my commuter car. I suspect that the blanket statements about all those other brands all being crap is not entirely accurate, and sounds blatantly biased, to me. Usually blanket, emotional, statements like that are.

 

[RG59061]

Thank you for your opinion as well. I was waiting for someone else to speak on behalf of the KONI struts. I have looked over both of them pretty heavily over the week and given my budget and the type of ride that I am looking for as this is my daily driver...I am leaning towards the KONIs.

But for the price, would the FSD kit be the better option? They claim to offer the best compromise in sport and comfort for a relatively good price at just over $700.00 for the set. (Though I hope that means it is both Front and Rear Struts). I have had the car for over 4 years and over 64,000 miles and I feel that all the struts are in need of replacement...not just the fronts.

As great as the Bilstein Shocks sound, they are just out of my price range.

 

[Chibana]

There was a good article comparing stock BMW 3 Series dampers, KONI Sports, and KONI FSDs at the Tire Rack's website, but I can't find it now. That article was the main reason I went with the Sports over the FSDs. They commented that the Sports resulted in crisper handling and quicker, more precise steering. They said the FSDs would likely have a slight advantage in handling over broken pavement. I think you have to decide for yourself which of those will suit you better, but for me, I didn't want to sacrifice any steering precision for a slightly softer ride over bad roads.

I was worried that the Sports would be too stiff for the bad roads in Michigan, since I've read many people's reviews of them on the many different car forums I've belonged to since my 1997 Ford Contour SE, but I was surprised at just how compliant they are at the softest setting. I even briefly thought about increasing the rebound damping on them, but decided against it, and will likely get the Racing Beat front and rear anti-roll bars to go along with my suspension setup. I find that, even on my 18" Enkei RPF1 wheels with P225/40R-18 tires (Pirelli PZero Nero M+S), the ride is not too harsh, and feels considerably more refined than did the Eibach Pro-System-Plus I had on my 2001 Focus ZX3.

I think I paid about $600 for my Sports from NSN.

 

[Captain KRM P5]

i have had the best experience with the Mazdaspeed strut package and the KONIs when selling to my customers

 

[RG59061]

I just bought the KONI FSD kit today. After all of your great opinions and some research, I think these will give my car the best ride and still maintain the sharp handling that it is known for.