Maybe some context will help, I live in Boston and we have pretty much the worst roads anywhere in the US.... In fact, I've had two friends who have driven into potholes and not come out which required a call to the fire department to have the front wheels of their cars lifted out and I even blew out a front shock mount on my old e24. I've lived in LA, NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Maimi, London, and even small islands in the Caribbean and there is nothing quite like the roads here in crappy parts of New England
In that light, I have definitely see some scary potholes on a regular basis so it's all relative. A small pothole here is bigger than anything I've seen in the state of California.... Ever ... And the new suspenion does make those a much harsher experience than stock. Certainly stock is a more comfortable ride, I was just comparing this to my older GC suspension on my M5 which I thought was even harsher over the small irregularities and bumps in the road than the AST set up.... And equally scary over the big potholes....