No matter the polycount increasement to 2 or 4 quads more....
If you create such multi-polygons, like on your first screenshot, you create a problem, don´t expect nice results.
No matter if hard or smooth edge, you won´t achieve a nice results.
Try to stay within quads. Or tris and than subidbide into quads with a modifier, but if you are modeling manually,
try always to connect your topo to quads and don´t allow your software to tesselate your topo with its algorithm (you see it on your screenie with the faulty smoothing). I know that if it comes to create good edges for mesh fidelity when a potential buyer could even subdivide something, if you keep it in quads, it shoudl work out. So my personal advise is try always to avoid multi-polygonal faces that create issues of all kinds.