For the SB.Garu, I don't hold [3] for the entirety of the move. I do mostly [2] while tapping [3] only to position the enemy a little bit in front of Elizabeth (her model in the middle of Garu, not the wind effect). After you get that down, you can start trying to add a D.Garu after SB.Garu before going into the rest of the combo like Juunee suggested. However, keep in mind that the timing and spacing varies slightly for each character, as well as the best inputs for controlling the direction of both Garus. You will also for the most part have to follow up with 2A/5A > 5B instead of going straight into 5B, due to timing constraints.
As for j.D/5D, it does not gain any benefit from the 2C damage buff. Only 5C, j.C, and Memento Mori as far as I've seen.