Brake pads Akebono or POWER STOP

Been running powerstop for years on my daily no issues and if anything pads last alot longer

I am partial to the Akebono ProACT ceramic pads. Akebono is OEM supplier for a lot of brands, and they make good quality stuff. I've had their pads on a number of cars, and never a problem. Quiet, low dust, stop well.

Akebono ceramic pads are pretty fantastic and low dust. EBC has a number of options. Don’t go out and buy some high performance spec pad and expect it to work on your daily driver. Some higher end pads meant for sport use are designed to be used such that they need to be heated up more for full performance. On a street car that’s not getting driven hard enough, the pads never heat up enough and you can get brake pad deposits on your rotors which ends up “feeling” like a warped rotor. TLDR: more expensive and higher performance isn’t always better for your application. Get the pad you need for your application.

For brakes though, I've used Powerstop Z17 and they're solid parts.

I've heard good things about Akebono pads, but I'm curious how they compare to other options (Bosch QuietCast, PowerStop, Raybestos, etc.)

I've used Powerstop on various other vehicles and have been pretty happy with them. I wouldn't recommend using them on something like an RS, but I'd put them on another daily driver without hesitation.

I put the pads/rotors on the front and just the pads on the rear of my 1st gen, and they are great. I would recommend them and say they're not overkill. Plenty of info online about the oem setup leaving something to be desired. I don't have to apply half the pressure I used to in order to get the same stopping power.

Put on all new pads and rotors after the last guy cheaper out, it’s a huge difference. Almost not brake dust and they have a good pedal feel.

I run Z36s on my 2001. They are fantastic, and have served me well towing and off roading. You probably don't *need* drilled and slotted rotors, but if you're doing it yourself you're already saving money. It's an upgrade from stock for sure.

Like others have said, these are great if your looking for less dust, but definitely lack the bite of OE pads. They will still stop just fine, but just don’t expect that crisp initial bite you get with OE pads.