what advantage/s do changing the factory lower control arms have on the suspension or ride of a civic eg aside from the obviously "cooler" looks?

saw them skunk2 lca's lately and the look neat with all their aluminum finish and lightweight looks.

 

LCAs are a bling factor. They really don't change much about how the car rides etc etc.

When working on suspension parts (usually only the first time), the bolt holding the strut to the LCAs (and others) can freeze up in the bushing, forcing you to get the bushing(s) replaced. If someone already has new LCAs, ready to be installed, they wouldn't have to wait to get a new bushing installed in the old ones.

When I installed my coilovers, both of the bolts I spoke of before froze up and snapped off. Luckily, I had Blox LCAs ready to be installed.