It has been a couple of weeks since I installed my Tein Basis coilovers. I decided to bite the bullet and just risk the extra $$$ to get these instead of just going with Eibach or H&R lowering springs. For the most part, I can say this coilover is ideal for someone who is looking to lower their car and still have the luxury feel of their ride. I noticed it is a little stiffer than stock but not to a point that it is harsh (some bounce but for the most part smooth). I would say this was made for people who just want to be able to set their ride at a specific height but still retain close to stock feel which is exactly what I was looking for. If you are looking for a more performance oriented coilover, I would look at something else. Maybe if paired with other suspension upgrades (sway bar, strut tower bars etc) it would be a different story but I can’t attest to that. Maybe in the future. To me, the $640 +/- is worth it just because of having the capability of height adjustment and having a new set of shocks/struts to go with it. Perfect for my daily drive. Install was the same as most of the coilovers out there that re uses the OEM top hat. So far no noise coming from suspension so that is a plus (hopefully nothing at all even in the future)…

I'll post pics later on

 

Nice initial review, and IMO a much better option than lowering springs on OEM shocks, the coilovers are designed to work as a unit, whereas the springs/oem shocks are a compromise that shortens the life of the dampers and have a harsh ride in most cases. Having full shock travel compared to an OEM damper that's already compressed 25% it's easy to see why the coilover is the much better choice. The Japanese Teins are a quality company and the shocks can be rebuilt so not a bad choice at all.
Look forward to pics and further impressions over time.
Thanks!

 

pgG37 you are actually spot on with your review and I want to build on it. I previous had Eibach springs paired with OEM shocks prior to switching to Basis. Eibach kept the stockish smoothness and IMO the ride quality was close to OEM but a bit stiffer and needless to say it was much better than Basis. However I wanted the height flexibilities of a coilover system and Basis was (still is) the best option. Another reason I went with Basis was the basicness of this system without the bells and whistles which to me means less problems and less worries about parts breaking. Yes Basis can get a bit bouncy mostly at low speed dampening, but any stiff system will amplifies this annoyance. However at higher speed, it's very well dampened and stable. Body roll is not too bad but still noticeable. I actually just got my Eibach sways installed and paired with Basis, turning in a corner is now absolutely flat. Sways REALLY make a big difference in suspension mod.

 

Thanks for the added info HoldmyMouse. I will most likely add more suspension mods later down the road... After wheels

 

don't forget your camber kits

 

Would you gentlemen mind updating your review on these COs now that you've got a few months and more miles on them? Thank you in advance.

 

Still loving mine! Although I would sometimes hear some knock on my driver side... Then again that could be the SPC cambers that I installed with it.

Overall, ride quality is what I initially said. It is a very smooth ride but not really geared to "performance"

Here's a pic of my car I took yesterday.

20150806_135125~2 by pgFA, on Flickr

 

Does yr driver spc control arm still knock in front

 

IMO, lowering a car without changing shocks is irresponsible. This kit is inexpensive, well designed, high quality and from a reputable manufacturer. It's a no brainer for someone looking for a budget drop on a daily driver.

I've had mine for about 6 or 8 months, and I think they are OK, but as an engineer/data geek I want to upgrade to something more digressive and high end. But for just looking good and tooling around these are awesome. Car looks great and the ride quality is good enough for the 20K/yr miles of driving I do.