Improve Ride on 2013 BRZ
 

I know there are many threads about this, but they are a little bit older and I just wanted to get some opinions on what I could do to get a smoother ride out of my 2013 BRZ. Some suggestions are to get shocks and springs from newer models, but up to what year will fit in the 2013 model? What would be a good aftermarket option? Is there anything else I can change to get a smoother ride?

buy another car.

stock shocks/springs from a 2017-2020 would be great, just make sure it's not from a PP car.

Anything you do will provide minimal gains IMO. Not worth the effort. It’s a sports car designed for corners. Just enjoy it.

Improve Ride on 2013 BRZ
 

I disagree. I did this exact swap, almost new 2017 86 shocks and springs on my 2013 BRZ. There was a significant difference in ride comfort and it was totally worth the $250 I paid for the set and the few hours putting them in.

I have a 2017 and don’t think it is noticeably different to all the earlier ones I have driven. Each to their own.

+1 to the 2017-2020 OEM suspension from a non-Peformance Pack model.

You can also consider downsizing to a 16" wheel so that there's more sidewall to cushion the ride. Depending on the wheel width, use either 205/55/16 or 225/50/16 tire to get close to the stock overall diameter.

This. Adding as much sidewall as you can, and driving on a non-performance, non-runflat tire is going to make a massive difference over smaller bumps and gaps.

I am with you. I went from the 14 with lowering springs to the 20 and other than not hitting the bump stops with things like RR tracks or driveway transitions I don't feel that great a difference. I REALLY hate the feel when I go to my 16" snow tires even when they are colder. There is nothing quite like having sidewalls start to roll under in a turn.
Strangely enough I would want the opposite of the OP anyway. If it was all soft and floaty I would not like it at all. Any suspension that isolates your from the bumps to any degree also numbs the whole feel of the car. May as well have a BMW or Mustang at that point.

I don't think any year BRZ has a smooth ride

A '75 Cordoba with rich Corinthian leather has a nice smooth ride....

I have a 2015 Fr-s first with Eichbach prokit springs on oem strut and now with ST Suspension XTA. The suspension is set at soft and the ride is way better than before. Bumps are less harsh but the felling and control are way better. I bought it slightly used and waited before installing it not sure it was necessary for me. Really happy with the result, and the car is lowered just like with the Eibach springs.

Be handy if you knew someone with a 2017+ so you could go for a ride and see if the difference is worth the effort to swap suspension components.

This is the best recommendation.
Pretty sure that confirmation bias plays a part in the conflicting reports of how much difference there is between the two. I went into it not expecting much difference so that is what I feel. Somebody swapping over and anticipating a huge change will feel a huge change. It is just how our brains work.

It wasn’t a huge difference IMO, but significant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YGGwTIO_J4&t=357s

According to these guys the refresh cars are less choppy than the refresh and that actually makes it more comfortable in day to day driving.

Even Savagegeese mentions it being alot more comfortable than when it started.

So to what extent that means to anybody, its up to you to find out.

Mine being a 2020, i dont find it particularly jarring at all. Its comfy, it is stiff and I can feel bumps in the road but its well damped imo. But i cant compare to a pre-refresh as i never really drove one of those before beyond a 5min test drive in 2013.

The other thing is if your shocks are 8 years old with a bunch of miles on them, they're due to be replaced. The 2017+ shocks are smoother new vs new 2013 shocks, and they are another step smoother vs old/crusty 2013 shocks.

If I just picked up a 2013 used, I'd also inspect all the bushings and do a rundown on what still looks good and what's not so good.

The #1 song in 2013 was Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. That's a long time ago.

Bilstein B6 are an upgrade as well if you're looking for something aftermarket. I like them a lot.

- Andrew

Lowering
 

I recently bought a 2013 BRZ with only 34,000 miles on it so of course it’s my project car! How does any of u guys recommend I drop it 1” to 1-1/2” the cheapest but without future problems? I have a set of unopened spring compression clamps and could use them, with a follow up alignment of course! But… I’m new to this car and love it!… therefore don’t want to go cheap if it’s gonna be at the future expense of the integrity of my baby!! Hehe I just want it to sit a little lower.

I used to have a 2013 FRS with Bilstein B6 + TRD springs (approx. 1.1" drop). Ride was significantly sportier & more comfortable than stock. However, with the different (Verus & the JDM) underpanels I added for drag reduction & downforce, I was scraping the underbody on slightly higher ramps & humps whenever I was loaded with other passengers & luggage.

Now on my `17 BRZ, I have Bilstein B6+ RCE Yellows that are about 0.8" drop. Though I also reinstalled all those underpanel covers, that 0.2" height increase makes a huge difference as I no longer scrape & the ride is even sportier than with the TRD springs. IMO, this is the perfect DAILY setup. It's a little investment to last the car's lifetime.

Check racecomengineering.com if they're still selling the Bilstein B6+RCE Yellows combo to save some money than buying them separately. Perhaps you can ask them if they can assemble the shocks & springs before delivery. Another option is to get RCE coilovers.

(1) Lighter wheels, if you can afford them, will make a noticeable difference. I run 16-inch wheels that weigh only 11.5lb each, saving almost 10lb per corner, against OEM 17-inch wheels.

(2) Lighter anti-roll bars. You can save about 1ib off each end, against OEM bars.

(3) Light weight wheel lug nuts. Mine weighs only about 40g each, about half the weight of OEM.

(4) Two-piece front brake rotors, saving another 7 lb per corner.

I run these mods on my 2018 model, while keeping OEM springs or shocks, and the ride appears firm but not crashy.

I second B6. If you are gonna go through the work get new shocks. I would get new springs as well. Maybe top hats too, but I know it gets pricey.

Interesting, one of few thing a im not happy with is the damping characteristics, its way worse than it need to be. Ive driven cars with 4 times the spring rate that runs smoother, just to much high speed damping. Will look at bilsteins when its time for a change.