Hello there,

I am reaching out for some guidance regarding upgrading the suspension on my 2016 Mazda3. I’ve been noticing that the ride quality is a bit stiffer than I would like, especially on bumpy roads, and I’m considering upgrading the suspension to improve both comfort and handling.

I am particularly interested in a setup that will give me a more comfortable ride without compromising the sporty feel of the car. I have seen various suspension kits available, but I am not sure which would be the best choice for a daily driver that still gets a bit of fun on weekends.

I have read about coilovers; but I am concerned that they might be too stiff for regular use. Would adjustable dampers be a good alternative? I have also heard about sway bars and strut braces, but I am not entirely sure how they affect ride quality.

Has anyone here made a similar upgrade on a Mazda3? What setup did you go with, and how did it affect your cars ride and handling? Any recommendations on brands or specific components I should look into would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/mazda3-26/2022-mazda3-turbo-premium-plus-rpa-uipath-mile-review-thoughts-53510 which definitely helped me out a lot.

Also; if there are any tips for DIY installation or if I should take it to a professional; feel free to share that as well. I am comfortable with some basic car maintenance, but this upgrade may be a bit beyond my skill level.

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

 

Welcome to the forum

 

From a standpoint of what you are asking the performance aftermarket suspension parts are to increase the handling . That translates to increased stability which means your ride quality will be less . There are some spring that are progressive that can increase stability and braking without sacrificing to much ride comfort as long as you drive as a Dailey driver and not sport driving. But the. Problem most all progressive coils lower the car and that means the ring rate is greater then stock.
The reality is you need to choose either stay stock suspension get a tire that is rated for ride quality and Lear improved driving skills or sacrifice the ride comfort and lack of better driving skills by compensating with upgrades suspension parts.

Never go with coil over unless you are going to be performance driving or understand them completely.
Increasing even the rear sway bar will decrease the ride comfort quality.

About the only way to get close to both world is with air suspension front and rear. Then you could adjust the air pressure to your type and style driving for that day. But for the Mazda it would be a custom system and around 4000 dollars. And you would still lack improved driving skills to take full advantage of it .


I am not trying to insult you but you can’t build suspension to compensate for not having learned and taught driving skills without taking Performance Driving School and learn how to drive the way most think they can. That would be an investment for life.

 

Not sure what you got out of that http except he didn’t like progressive insurance? That member also totally got a couple thing inaccurate as well?