Originally posted by 99svtcontour:
i want something that is going to last long



Koni is the only one I know of (for our cars) that has any kind of warranty. So, presumably, they would be certain to last as long as you own your car (as long as you don't race it.)

And, they are available for $135 each from our man Corey (+ shipping)

Spax went through a dark period for a while, but supposedly cleaned up their act under new management here a few years ago. Not many people running them, and they are mostly in Europe. Seem to be quite a few people over there with them--Mondeo or otherwise--and IIRC, mostly satisfied with quality and performance.

That leaves BAT and Bilstein.

The BAT struts are on quite a few CEG cars, and again, I don't recall any disappointments, but I don't know about longevity. Might try searching that one. They are purportedly made by Bilstein, but the guys at BAT won't own up to it. Since the price is so close to the Spax struts, and since more people have bought these than the Spax, most people who are deciding between the two end up getting the BATs, unless BAT is out of them.

Bilstein has never had a dark period of which I am aware, and they make some of the best struts in the world. They are certainly a direct competitor to Koni. From BAT, though, you get no warranty (unless it comes from Bilstein--someone can check me on this?), and the struts are about $120 each. By the time you get there, most people either turn around and get the BAT struts, or go on ahead and get the Koni's (but not from BAT).

Sachs, which you also mentioned, are similar to KYB, in that they are OEM replacements (in this case.) So not really a contender for your dollar.

Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998