Owner reviews for brake pads

Akebono makes very good pads.

If your car is spec'd for Brembo brake pads, they probably weren't fully needed in yet, which is 100% normal.

Akebono pads are great.

I'm running Z26 Pads front & rear on my '20 with DBA T3 Rotors. Performance is excellent. I don't get the squeal others have reported with the Z26 pads. I had originally installed the DBA XP Pads but they were too dusty for my liking.

I'm currently running Z23 pads with DBA rotors (slotted, so the wear on the pads should be similar to the Z26 rotors). The PowerStop pads have less initial bite, but I personally feel like they brake harder at max brake pressure than OEM pads. It takes a bit to get used to, but it feels fine long term.

Bosche quiet cast brakes and rotors. Love em.

My Equinox has 10,400km and will always make noise under braking at the beginning of the ride and then gradually stops. Braking feels good though.

I tried EBC on one SVT Focus and my first Fiesta ST. Yellowstuff on both.

They're marginally better than the OE ST pads, aside from dust production. They do not bite as hard as Hawk 5.0s or Stoptech Sports (which are my go-tos now; $76 for fronts from Tirerack). They do not stand up to actual track day driving (no one I know who does track stuff uses EBC). They're okay for autocross.

Powerstop = power junk with fancy colors. In no way are powerstop parts better quality than an OEM part.

I feel Powerstop is more hype than “real”. Made in China.