As soon as the factory shocks wear out on my German cars (VW and Mercedes) i always replace them with Bilstein, and I go with the Heavy Duty (HD) if my budget allows. Bilstein HD have just the right amount of German-tuned "jounce" to provide that fine balance between a more-firm-than-factory ride and yet still be comfortable for daily driving. I got a pair of these Bilstein HDs for my 04 JettaTDI, for an absolute best deal of $50/shock, after the factory shocks had worn out, and now the car rides beautifully firm yet still supple enough to absorb the usual road surface irregularities.