While Subaru and Toyota have made a great handling sports car with the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, and Toyota 86, you might be craving even more handling performance or a lower ride height. Coilovers are one of the popular options to achieve this.
While many people install air suspension on their car to achieve the lowered stance look, and while this is a great budget option, this usually compromises handling. Lowering springs are another option, popular due to the more affordable cost, but this doesn't give you the level of adjustability that you'd get from a good set of coilovers, whether you use the stock struts or upgrade to aftermarket ones.
If you're looking to not only get that sweet lowered look, but dial in your suspension to your own preference and get the best possible handling from your BRZ, FR-S, or GT86, then coilovers are the best choice for upgrading your suspension. We've put together a list of the best ones to make your choice easier.
Damping Adjustment: 30 levels
Front spring rate: 8 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 8 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Monotube
The BC Racing BR Series Coilovers for the BRZ / FR-S / 86 are the perfect choice for daily driving, with occasional track use on a road course or with autocross.
These coilovers have easy to access adjustments for rebound and compression, and ride height adjusts independently from the spring preload. The high level of adjustability, and moderate spring rate, means these won't be too harsh for street use, and you can dial them in for perfect handling on the track. Included are all required parts, making them easy to install. Overall we highly recommend the BC Racing BR Coilovers.
Damping Adjustment: 16 levels
Front spring rate: 6 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 6 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Twin-tube
Tein offers a great affordable choice with their Flex Z Coilovers for the BRZ, FRS, and GT86. The quality of these is surprisingly very good, especially considering their budget-friendly price. While these are designed for primarily street use, with their softer spring rates, they'll hold up fine to some track use as well. The level of adjustment makes these very versatile. If you want the best bang for your buck, you may struggle to find a better deal than this.
Damping Adjustment: 16 levels
Front spring rate: 7 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 12 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Monotube
For the daily driver that sees some occasional weekend track use, these Godspeed coilovers are a great choice. They offer a reasonable level of adjustment, with 16 levels of damping. They allow the height to be adjusted separately from the preload, so you won't ruin your ride quality for that nice and low look.
Damping Adjustment: 32 levels
Front spring rate: 8 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 8 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Monotube
These are the most budget-friendly coilovers we can recommend for the BRZ / FR-S / 86. While you may question the quality based on the price, these have excellent handling quality when compared to some other options at a similar price. They offer 32 levels of damping adjustment, and the height can be independently adjusted from the spring tension. With these coilovers, you can lower your car and have a nice stance, and it will still handle great and be perfect for daily driving. We think these are a great entry-level coilover with reasonable quality.
Damping Adjustment: 15 levels
Front spring rate: 6 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 6 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Monotube
A great choice for daily use, the Megan Racing EZ Coilovers are another affordable choice for the BRZ / FR-S / GT86. Megan Racing develops its products with the help of the racing community's valuable feedback. While these coilovers are more focused on street use, they're also good if you like to track your car on occasion. If you want a decent set of coilovers and you don't want to break the bank, then these may be for you.
Damping Adjustment: 24 levels
Front spring rate: 6 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 7 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Monotube
If you're after top quality, then Fortune Auto delivers. Their 500 series coilovers are focused on everyday drivability while still performing well on the track. Fortune Auto has developed its suspension parts with rigorous testing and offers some of the best quality coilovers on the market, yet they deliver these at a very reasonable price.
Damping Adjustment: 14 levels
Front spring rate: 4.1 kg/mm
Rear spring rate: 5 kg/mm
Independent height adjustment: Yes
Style: Dual-tube
These are some of the top quality coilovers on the market. It has a two-stage valve that allows for compression adjustment and rebound damping adjustment, allowing the coilovers to be dialed in for comfort, but excellent handling under higher speeds as well.
Closing Thoughts
No matter your budget, there's a good set of coilovers out there to fit your needs. Coilovers are one of the best mods for your BRZ, FRS, or GT86 if you're looking to improve handling and lower your ride height.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are coilovers good for daily driving?
Coilovers are often more stiff and less comfortable than stock suspension setups. Most coilovers, however can have their damping adjusted to make them acceptable for daily driving. The BRZ, FR-S, and GT86 have somewhat stiff and sporty suspension from the factory, so well-adjusted coilovers are perfectly fine for daily driving.
Do coilovers make your ride smoother?
No, quite the opposite. Even with the coilovers adjusted for a softer ride, your car will be lower to the ground on coilovers. This means the spring rate will still need to be higher than the stock suspension setup, otherwise the car would bottom out. Coilovers are meant to lower the car and increase handling performance, not increase comfort.
How long do coilovers last?
High quality coilovers should last the life of the car or more. Many coilovers are rebuildable, and can be brought back to like-new condition at a fraction of the cost of replacement if any parts begin to wear.