Strut assembly KYB or Bilstein

The B8's pair REALLY well with the Neuspeeds. Ride is actually less bouncy and the struts dampen better and faster. Bumps in the road that use to be pretty jolty are less of an issue, and body roll has been reduced significantly. My turn in bite feels a tad sharper and the car feels and stays planted very nicely compared to the OEM struts.

I have stock springs with Bilstein B4 struts and shocks. Roads here are not great, so I didn't want to lower the car, but I wanted better ride and control than the mushy stock suspension. Hated the porpoising on the freeway when I bought my car. The new shocks give a much better ride without being too harsh for the family. The car feels German now instead of like a Buick.

I too have B8’s on mime but use new oem VW strut and bearing. No issues or noises after 10k.

I asked the same question you had several months ago and went all out by picking up Bilstein GTWORX struts and RCE yellow springs.

Went with KYB struts, they got several good reviews compared to OEM

The thing I found out a while ago was that Mazda back in the day used KYB built struts for the 626. OEM is guaranteed to be restore ride quality for sure. KYB struts usually are always top notch and sometimes better than OEM (but definitely keep the coil springs).

I paired Bilstein B6 struts with H&R springs. Absolutely night-and-day. The car feels so much more secure and planted. The B6's shorter stroke and beefier build prove to be a great quality ride, even in comfort and normal mode. There's little-to-no dive, and the front corners are more responsive and poised under load.

I like the bilstein touring struts. They are a great value for a slightly sportier than stock strut.

I went from Sachs to B6 just in the front and it’s meh.

I have a 2018 GTI with about 15K on Bilstein B8's with MSS street springs. Today while leaving work I heard a pop and rattle from the front end of the car. Pulled over, inspected and found the strut nut sheared at the threads between the strut and the strut mount.