Sonic Tuning S1 Coilovers Review (1 yr anniversary)

hey everyone... so i just wanted to do a little review about these coilovers since i haven't really seen anyone else do one. maybe some ppl can add this to the list of coilovers

Background:
before i decided to do these coilovers, i was weighing a lot of options on suspensions whether it be doing springs, coilovers, or just leaving it on the sport package that it was on. i had a 2000 celica when i was younger and i put TRD springs on them. all i remembered was that it didn't bother me but it was a very bumpy ride and my freinds hated riding with me. my next car was a 06 acura tsx and it drove like a champ....just too high a boatish for my taste. i didn't feel sporty. i got my 02 330ci convertible and loved it. loved the handling and the ride it was great...but of course, with any car...there is room for improvement. and here come the S1 Coilovers from Sonic Tuning.

http://www.sonictuning.com/suspensio...coilovers.html

which specs that are important to me:
-fully adjustable on ride height (especially in the east coast winters and cracked roads )
-12 point adjustable damper (for nights when i cruise with a chick or for nights when i wanna play!!)
-design and paint are high quality (i didn't want something that would break down on me and stand up to the excess salt the DC Metro area uses whenever it snows..idiots...)

so my main focus when i talked to them before purchasing was i wanted to keep ride comfort but improve handling, not be killed on bumps, and be able to control my height just in case i changed my rims (had stock 17's at that time). so Ray from Sonic Tuning made a deal i couldn't resist (even though the price for them are already insane at $849) and i jumped on it.

Installation:
i am a 6 out of 10 when it comes to DIY experience, and i had 2 friends that were 8-9 out of 10 to help. the installation was straight forward, very easy, just took a bit to play around how to install them cuz of he way convertibles are different than coupes/sedans. overall a relatively easy experience and i had a great visual on the quality of the product compared to OEM. here's some pics!!

Front:

Rear:

Front (installed):

OEM e46 vs. Sonic Tuning (i sent them the pic i took for the difference on the Adjustable Links)


and the end product after i let them take some photos




first impressions:
my friends set me up by telling me to drive around so that the springs would "pop" and the coiolovers could adjust...they didn't tell me they set the damper to 12 (hardest setting) and sent me on a road with bumps. i felt like a bobble head til i came back . i readjusted front to 6 and rear to 6 as well so i can see the middle ground. felt amazing...Body Roll was very, very limited (i was showing someone and pushed too hard on the body and pressed a dent in...i know...idiot move, but i got it popped out already ), so was the braking and acceleration lean, and even the responsiveness of the wheel was greatly improved. i even drove it in the blizzard we had in the east coast last febuary...def held up to my antics of drifting.

second impression (summer period):
holding up great, 25 out of 30 days i forget that i have them on until i have to swerve and avoid something or i have fun and take a nice turn a little faster than i usually do. then...my ride got even better...new wheels/tires!! the ride got a little bumpier only cuz now i have 19's on there. taking turns changed again for the better as now i have more rubber on the road. and i love the stance that my friends helped me set it to. side note: when i replaced my rims and raised the suspension, had a lot of salt but still cleaned off pretty well...a little wd-40 and the parts got to moving again. so the quality def kicked in there and i did appreciate that.

stole the pics from their flickr site:



recent impressions:
no probs out of the ordinary, had an alignment re-done since i put my stocks on for the winter and changed to polyurethane front control arm bushings cuz the oems kept wearing after 2 years. after that change...suspension got even stiffer, def a plus and something i would immediately recommend to an e46 owner. i haven't moved past the 5-7 range on the damper, i like the medium setting cuz i want the comfort/stiff combo for everyday driving.

overall....i have nothing to complain. i am not the most knowledgable enthusiast, but i do enjoy having something that i can drive daily that i can also have fun with. so after a year, been holding up great, haven't had any probs, but everytime i bring it to my tech for check-ups, i have him check it out. great people to work with since they also cut me a great deal on the rims since i was one of the first who put on their suspension. i give two thumbs up! hopefully this helps some ppl in their quest for suspensions....but this was my first real write up...hopefully it wasn't too long!!!

Nice write-up. How is the paint holding up on these things? Are they starting to peel or anything of that sort or starting to rust?

Originally Posted by enycesam

Nice write-up. How is the paint holding up on these things? Are they starting to peel or anything of that sort or starting to rust?

mine's fine, i don't have any chipping....no rust either...salt...prolly!! haha

dang looks like these can go low as well! great review, glad you enjoy them!

i like the review, sounds great.
can u comment on how well it handles some extra weight in the trunk, say, top down, maybe with a heavy bag in the back also?

Any pics of them now, after 1 year with salt and snow and rain exposure, even tho u cleaned them?

Originally Posted by snikwad

i like the review, sounds great.
can u comment on how well it handles some extra weight in the trunk, say, top down, maybe with a heavy bag in the back also?

Any pics of them now, after 1 year with salt and snow and rain exposure, even tho u cleaned them?

i had 3 girls (avg. of 5'7, 120 lbs...one was a like 5'1...killin the average!) and their bags for a weekend trip to AC with the top down last summer. so adding that and the way females pack...it felt just the same on the turns, but i didn't hit any hard turns or any in high speeds. though i did feel the bumps a bit more. but that's pretty expected.

i don't have any right now...i'll take some when i get my alignment done soon cuz i put the stocks back in. (fronts only though).

For that price $850, did they come with rear shock mounts and front camber plates?

I got the version that didn't have the front camber plates, want out yet for my car.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Bimmer App


CORRECTION: The S1's do come with the front camber plates

Link doesnt work.

Originally Posted by jaspillera

i had 3 girls (avg. of 5'7, 120 lbs...one was a like 5'1...killin the average!) and their bags for a weekend trip to AC with the top down last summer. so adding that and the way females pack...it felt just the same on the turns, but i didn't hit any hard turns or any in high speeds. though i did feel the bumps a bit more. but that's pretty expected.

i don't have any right now...i'll take some when i get my alignment done soon cuz i put the stocks back in. (fronts only though).

im about sold on these hten, unless i come across some top end used sh1t for sale on here.

thanks

what about current pics of them?

Originally Posted by DontWriteGraff

Link doesnt work.

yea, i was thinking of upgrading my interior lights to LEDs and adding LED Angel Eyes when it went out on me. so i called ray and ordered them (got a better deal which worked out for me! ) and he said he was updating the website.

Originally Posted by snikwad

im about sold on these hten, unless i come across some top end used sh1t for sale on here.

thanks

what about current pics of them?

been lazy about doing alignment cuz we just got hit with another storm which made the roads an ice skating rink...hopefully soon lol

Originally Posted by w0w

dang looks like these can go low as well! great review, glad you enjoy them!

thanks!! yea...we tried to see how low they could go. i couldn't stick my foot under the sideskirt when we were done the first time!

^ thats exactly what i want to hear.

Nice writeup, I saw your car on display at the booth whatever when you still had on the m68's at the CPtuning meet. Been skeptical about these since Sonic Tuning is relatively new, but I think I will get these.


Also, I think your car would look much better without the mudflaps Car looks good though.

Originally Posted by joneperry

Nice writeup, I saw your car on display at the booth whatever when you still had on the m68's at the CPtuning meet. Been skeptical about these since Sonic Tuning is relatively new, but I think I will get these.


Also, I think your car would look much better without the mudflaps Car looks good though.

the mudflaps kinda took care of themselves....i hit a bump when i had it extra low and it semi popped off. so i knew it was time to get rid of them...and time for me to raise the car just a little bit lol.

What's the warranty on these? Lifetime?

some nice looking coils

dampening sounds gooood

One year warranty on them I believe. I did take some shots on my phone when I got my hid fogs installed today....too lazy to take the wheels off til I get alignment. Will take better pics next week!!

Just snowed so lots of salt lol, no rust or paint chipping here. just salt and dirt



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Bimmer App

looks good. 2 winters now, or just this one?

1 and a half. installed last february just in time for the blizzard during the week of the super bowl last year and with the winter this year, less quality snow accumulations, just more quantity of days that it does (0-3").