My issue with the KYB's isn't really a harsh ride. It's firm, but not overly. Which to me is fine in the XJR though I could see that a standard XJ8 might want a little cushier ride. My issue with them is the complete worthlessness of them when it comes to longevity. I just replaced mine under warranty (the only reason I put them back on for now), and that was at about 28k miles. Both fronts were totally shot. Zero compression at all on each.