Did you also spend years thinking 80 grit was aggressive? Because I sure did, and now I feel pretty dumb about all those discs I wasted. I run 36 on a DA for the heavy stuff and it cuts through that Ford clear like it isn't even there, though I do keep the speed down so I don't gouge the panel. One thing I learned the hard way is to step back up to 80 before primer so the scratches don't telegraph through.

$40 grinders are all like that, you just got what you paid for.

Honestly 3px offset doesn't smooth anything, it just adds blur.