I have the suspension (and spoilers) - and compared to my brothers standard 172, the ride is rock hard.
So far Ive found it great for blasting around the lanes (trip to work is only 4-5 miles of little B-roads), but it gets a bit wearing when youre on a longer motorway drive. I havent driven the non-cupped 182, but I wonder (if that too is 20% stiffer than a 172) if that might be a better choice for doing 3K per month - I would expect it still to be nice and sharp, but also that little bit more refined.
But - the anthracite wheels do look nicer...