Hello everyone! I'm new, and as such I expect to be somewhat flamed and chastised for even going this route with my first post, however... I am in need of a decision and I believe that a controlled, positive discussion about options (not vague ones) will help me make it. For starters, let me give some specific info about the situation...

Car:
1997 Nissan 240sx SE
- Almost stock except for sound system, HID headlights, and AEM short ram intake.

Usage
- Only as a daily driver (basically I just want a better handling car that looks better and is lower (i don't need there to be absolutely no gap between tire and wheelwell arch, just less than the 4 or 5 fingerwidths there now...)

Budget
- Approximately $1,000, +/- $100 depending on the month I decide to get it (before Christmas/after Christmas, respectively).

I have stock wheels with some HR rated BF Goodrich tires on there that I will be replacing in the future, but not immediately, so the coilovers or shocks/struts that I upgrade to will have to be limited to that unimpressive reality for a little while.

I have pored over many forums and topics about suspensions and at first I wanted to go with a crazy race or drift spec coilover, but I've changed my overall goal for my car now and just want a better performing setup that isn't so harsh I can't stand the 50 miles I drive a day to get to work and back (Arizona). I have spoken with several people at my place of work that are into cars and they have Koni/ anonymous spring setups that they swear by. I know that a Koni/GC or similar lowering spring combo is great but costs practically the same as an entry-level coilover, hence the internal struggle. I like the adjustability of the coilover setup, but I am hesitant due to some of the reports of excessive ride harshness. I'm looking for a very educated, but succinct sum-up of a few different options/setups that I could use that do not require a big decision on my part. I have fought myself over this to the point where I have almost given up and sold my car to buy a 1989 Civic dx hatchback and say screw it, but refrained and remembered that I have a nice car that I actually enjoy, if not for the embarrassingly stock nature of it. Anywhen...
Summary:
Coilover, smart for daily driving highway miles 45 minutes a day? Or...
Shock/spring, smart and cheaper, but not as satisfying, especially if I ended up buying another car and deciding to get into track-day type of stuff in the future...
Wracking my brains about this, but hoping you guys could help. I'm also hoping I get an overwhelming majority just telling me to do one specific setup up so I can just call and order and stop worrying about whether I'm making a bad choice or not. Phew... Thanks guys, and sorry about making this a novel and a half.

Unfortunately, $1000 is hardly enough for a decent suspension set up. You can get a strut/spring combo with a pair of sway bars, but at the cost of a moderately "high" car. A good, and i use that loosely, coilover would run you about 1 thousand and with the drop you want, you'll need adjustable rear upper control arms. Tanabe and Tein have entry coilovers that are not damping adjustable or bottom mount adjustable but provide a drop slightly lower than a spring/strut combo. If you really want to cheap out, you can buy megan, circuit sport, isis, ksport or any other budget friendly fully adjustable coilover and still have money for adjustable arms.... and probably have some $ left over.

See, I've heard so much controversy over coilovers and people always say that what you spend you will get, so I'm thinking about going with a cheaper shock/spring setup. Here is what I've narrowed it down to, and just need an opinion on what would work best for my application

Koni yellow x 4 - ~ $650

Just need a good lowering spring that gives me about 1.25 - 1.75 range drop, for future wheel customization. I hear really good stuff about Tein S.Techs and H.Techs, and also the Eibach Pro-Kit and Sportlines. Just need some opinions and reviews on this combo with the Konis, if anyone is rolling with this combo, so I can make a decision soon.

There really isn't much variation between coilovers >$1500 so I wouldn't sweat it. Koni yellows are pretty good budget dampers. They're not the best from Koni but they have a decent rebound curve. I'd go with the eibach pro spring. The Sportlines are too aggressive and too short for many conventional dampers and are likely to cause premature damper failure in the future. Eibach also tests their springs before distributing and grantees they'll stay within +/-2% of there advertised rate.

I was also looking into some entry level coilovers, such as Megan's, K Sports, and I found a really good deal on Tanabe Sustec Pro S-OC Type 1 with the helper spring, for $783, I think they retail for close to 1000 or 1100. Would those Tanabe's be good for that price?

If your car is only a daily, get whatever piece of crap you can afford that will lower your car and not bust a seal in a month. Those Tanabe/Meg/Ksport/godpseed/etc are perfect for you. They blow horribly for the track, but for something that is a daily, pull the trigger on it.