McPherson Strut
as used on most cars nowdays involving a steel tube/platform with a large coil spring with the shock absorber inside and uses large soft springs for a comfortable ride
Coilovers
in principle does the same job but derived from racing where used for adjustability from the moveable platform (height) and use a standard 2 1/4" spring so more range for spring rates to be changed and the thinner design allows for wider wheels but can be a very hard ride for the road
they also look a lot neater/meaner too
