I seem to be in the minority here but I really like the Bilsteins. I have a 95 T5 and when I first put them on they were slightly, and I mean "slightly", less jarring than my stock shocks. Control was better at freeway speeds and the crash through I had with the stock shocks on dips and bumps was gone. The Bilsteins were put on when I had 95K miles and with Yokohama A520 Tires. I was still looking for a smoother ride and didn't think that a change in tires was going to change things much but it ends up that I was dead wrong. I read a tire review at Tirerack comparing my current tires (Yoko A520) and the Kumho Ecsta Supra 712. The Ecstas were to have a smoother, quieter ride with a small sacrifice in grip. I ordered a set and now my ride is great and grip is still very good. The review was right on the money. I feel like I'm driving a new car. The only minor drawback with the Ecstas is that the turn-in response is not quite as good as the A520s.

Good luck in your search for a smoother ride.