TL;DR: Looking for a strut that is suited to 4.5kg/mm front and 4k rear springs on a GC8... Planning to use stock top hats. Tired of overly stiff coilovers which are super planted on perfectly smooth roads; but rather "slow" on "real" roads due to all the slowing right down for bumps that don't even exist for other motorists! :P ..However still would prefer stiffer than stock, as I thought that feels like an SUV... 
For a crappy old GC Impreza (front and rear McPherson strut), may I please ask what struts do you think would be good to pair with Manzo (i.e., Megan racing, i.e., manufactured by same company as BC) lowering springs^, which are F 4.5kg/mm, R 4.0k ?
The ideas I have so far are between used Pedders (Monroes) for $300 off gumtree (hehehe) or maybe some KYB AGX adjustables ($920 off ebay from America inc. shipping) or some Koni Yellow adjustable ($1040 off ebay from America inc. shipping); what would be a good pick?
How big is the gap in quality between the AGX and the Koni Yellows?
I would be inclined to prefer the AGX if only because it's a complete strut; not an insert like the koni yellow where the stock strut needs to be cut up. Maybe that shouldn't be a big consideration?
BTW the local price I saw for Koni Yellows was $400 PER shock - talk about a rip-off!
I found the stock suspension (well they were some kind of lowering springs, but not much stiffer than stock), highly comfortable but for cornering totally unacceptable, rather SUV-like, so don't want to go back to something that soft.
It's interesting to note that a subaru club enthusiast sets *very, very, very* quick hillclimb and track times in a GC STi on Kings lowering springs, which are progressive springs, with Front max rate of 4.0k and Rear max of 2.8k; obviously very effective indeed!
The stock spring rates, for reference, are around F 2.8 kg/mm R 2.6k (so I would presume that OE replacement KYB struts, or just the orginal struts themselves, would be a no-go with the Manzo springs as it's nearly an 80% increase in rate
); while if I got the Pedders "SportsRyder" strut set I would be taking out the stock 02 STi springs from the set; which are the early GDB STi rates of F 3.3 kg/mm and R 3.0 kg/mm (if I am not mistaken; >04 STi is not compatible, but these 02 struts should be compatible with the first gen Impreza; presuming I swap on the stock GC rear top hats). By the way, feel free to find it unusual that the owner replaced the OE monotube inverted STi shocks with non-inverted twintube Monroe/Pedders shocks -- presumably the stock ones were worn out and Pedders rip-off prices were cheaper than subaru genuine parts rip-off prices!
:P
May I ask please also if maybe there is an entry level non-adjustable sports shock that would perform well with the Manzo springs that I am overlooking?
^ I have no idea where to get STi gymkhana tarmac springs (F 5k R 5k - which are presumably the stiffest oem shape springs for this chassis), so these are the best I can locate; any other suggestions?
Or would it better to get some entry level coilovers?
The existing coilovers are a bit tiresome -- they are very, very good on perfectly smooth roads -- but too stiff for some urban & backroads (certain roads and routes are fine thankfully; heck some roads are good but only in one direction! :P).