I used Gabriel's on front and KYB in the back. I also replaced the sway bar links. They were busted and rusted out/seized to strut.
KYB. Used on my gen 1 and worked great. Tried Monroe on another vehicle and they were soft and bouncy, replaced those with KYB also.
These Gabriels are tight. The rear feels a little on the stiff side, but they should soften in a couple thousand miles. They seem really well made, too. The shroud covering the piston seems stout and they came with nice bushings. The stock KYBs were absolutely shot, but they gave it their best try.
I also recently replaced the rear shocks. The rear shocks on the premium model with the adjustable controls are just stupid expensive, even from a dealer that sells at wholesale. Anyways, a GX owner found the KYB equivalent for $175 from Partsouq in Dubai. Ordered a pair plus new rubber mounts and installed those a few weeks ago.
My suggestion - buy a set of regular aftermarket shock absorbers but from a reliable manufacturer like KYB...You'll ride lower, it'll be a bit stiffer but you'll not lose your teeth fillings each time you hit a pothole.
I use KYB's on beater passenger cars literally all the time because they last a lot longer than Monroe's and honestly they are good quality shocks (they are OEM on Toyotas and most Hondas I believe for a reason).
2 year later update: finally decided to get new shocks, kyb this time. What a world of difference. No bounce and am using the same bump stops as before.
I went with nice, inexpensive low-pressure KYB shocks and they're about right for my use.
I have installed KYB Excel-G shocks on my 1998 Subaru Legacy GT and 2002 Lexus LS430. Both cars had worn out shocks and the new ones were an improvement.
My experience with KYB on Volkswagen's was not the greatest, they have a lifetime warranty, which is good, because I found myself replacing shocks constantly (about every 5,000 miles).
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