If he already had coilovers in mind I don't think the ride should be too far off from what he is expecting. I had 9kg/7kg D2's on a 2800 lbs Maxima and the ride was much better than many spring/strut setups I have experience with for my chassis. It is true that higher linear-rate springs DO feel more minor road imperfections but I HIGHLY prefer that over a progressive-rate spring matched to an adjustable shock because like you said, it is a compromise between poise and comfort. Setting an adjustable shock to dampen at the levels that the spring operates during hard driving will not suit the spring during normal compression and initial travel and vice versa.

The most important thing in suspension selection in my opinion is determining the actual goals/wants/needs of the application it's going into. I admit I have a personal bias for a high linear-rate setup.

BTW TheChosenOne, try to ride in (possibly drive) cars with different setups.