There are many reasons to downgrade your car back to stock form. Most of the time, it's because life has struck. Maybe the car was munched up beyond repair, or finances are forcing some hard choices.

But sometimes the reasons are happy ones -- like upgrading to a newer model!

That's what's happening to our old friend John Hinrichs. John was one of the first to Mugen-equip his 2010 CR-Z. We documented his impressions of the Mugen carbon fiber air box, Mugen 17x7 GP wheels, Mugen cat-back exhaust and Mugen 5-way sport suspension for our blog. And now he's trading in his 2010 CR-Z for a fresh new 2013 model.

We asked him to send his thoughts on going back to stock form after enjoying his Mugen parts for the last 40k miles:

>> With 40k of the 41k miles on my CR-Z having used the Mugen suspension, I didn't remember how the OEM setup felt. Now that its back on, I can tell you I'll be in a hurry to get the Mugen gear onto my 2013.

>> There is little difference in comfort between the two. On the highway, or even a lumpy backroad (if it doesn't have any curves in it), I have to pay fairly close attention to notice the change. Large bumps do take the OEM suspension a bit longer to sort out, so if anything the Mugen setup is more comfortable by being less bouncy. But then there is the cornering. While the Mugen suspension did leave some body roll (it is a comfortable street setup, after all) turn in was immediate, and the way the car's weight would shift was linear and predictable. Not so much with OEM suspension. Not only is the body roll worse, but turn into a corner with any vigor and it takes two or three tries (read: bounces) before the suspension settles in. And it has to figure it out all over again if I try to change my line mid-turn. The OEM setup is best described as vague, if not a little bit unsettling.

>> Oh, and the fender gap is back to barely acceptable with my 16" winter wheels. Would look downright awkward with 17"s.

Thanks John for the report and we're looking forward to your future mods!

Check out all our CR-Z performance parts at the King Motorsports online store!

Review and announcement by Scott Zellner, President & CEO of King Motorsports and SCCA Road Racing Champion:

In stock form, Honda's new CR-Z is both under-dampened and softly sprung. This combination really masks the sporting characteristics of the CR-Z. 

The Mugen 5-Way Adjustable Suspension Kit was designed with both street and occasional track use in mind. The result is a more controlled ride with much less lean, dive and squat. Each damper adjustment changes both the compression and rebound calibrations so you can tailor the suspension for any driving environment.

The average ride height reduction is 1” front and rear for an aggressive stance, lower center of gravity, and better aerodynamics. This kit comes pre-assembled which makes installation quick and easy.

This kit is without a doubt the best handling upgrade you can make to your new CR-Z.

King Motorsports is proud to be the sole provider of these Mugen CR-Z suspension kits in North America. They will be in-house and ready to ship the first week of November.

Follow us on Twitter (@KingMotorsports) or Facebook to be the first to know!

In the meantime, be sure to download our exclusive Mugen/King CR-Z wallpapers.