I have not been able to detect a consistent difference in ride/handling after replacing struts or shocks on a car unless the originals were leaking or broken (that is, not functioning). This takes into account a variety of roads, loads, and driving conditions. Every setup will behave better in some situations and worse in others. The spring seats, bushings, etc. - when bad, why not just use the factory part? If I wanted to change the ride and handling qualities of a car which has no specific defective suspension parts I'd put my money into better tires.