Brake pads Akebono or R1 Concepts

Stock pads are Akebono ACT1124 and ACT1539. ASP series is a decent upgrade without sacrificing on dust and noise though.

I went with Akebono on our 3IS, good wear life, very little dust, they seem to perform well in all situations. I’ve had them on the front for 120k miles (I think the first set lasted almost 100k, replaced with the same), and about 20k on the rears.

My Akebono pads are great!! Nooooo dust! Go for it!!

I just replaced my front brakes. I went with Akebono ceramic pads and Raybestos Elemento coated rotors since I live in a snow area. They feel so very much better than the oem brakes. The car stops with ease now. No more having to press the pedal harder and harder as you stop.

I just finished an exhausting research session since I am replacing the original rotors on my 2006 Tacoma (got over 200k miles on those and they're still okay, but getting close to needing replacement).I've heard pretty much universally good things about Wagner and Bosch. Other brands like Raybestos and Powerstop, some people have good things to say, some don't.In the end I went with OEM rotors I got straight from Toyota. I'm pretty sure the OEM manufacturer is Advics, and you can get the same rotors from Rock Auto. They're the in the 'high carbon' category and are a little pricier than the "daily driver' price/quality category you see on RA's website. I got them for around the same price as RA, but direct from the dealer; you have to shop around because some dealers will charge the full MSRP, while some have ~25% off MSRP on nearly all their parts.In short, if you want to stay as close to original as possible, my vote is for Advics rotors and Akebono pads. I was pretty happy with the longevity of my original rotors so decided to stick with my 'tried and true' experience.

I just changed out my rotors and brakes, both fronts and rears. I went with the Akebono ProAct pads, Centric GCX front rotors, and Dynamic Friction Geospec rear rotors. The OEM front pads are Advics (GG friction rating), and the rears list NBK (FF friction rating). The Rotors are all Advics.

The ProActs are slightly better, but nothing significant. I had plenty of life in the fronts, but my rotors were slightly warped, and the outer rears were pretty worn. 50k miles, pretty much on the money.

The default recommendation will be Zimmerman rotors and Akebono Premium Ceramic Pads.

For the A4 it doesnt get better than this. Low dust, quiet operation, great initial bite, and they last a long time.

Zimmerman rotors and Akebono pads. Decent stopping power. Never any noise. And super low dust! Been running this combo the last 12 years on all German cars I have owned, with zero issues (bmw,Audi &Mercedes).

Stock rotors and pads. Akeboko pads if I’ve been particularly annoyed by brake dust, but that’s an ebb/flow with how busy I am with life, work, and kids and how often I’m detailing.

I did not like the Akebono ASPs at all. A distinct lack of bite even after break-in. Went back to stock and all was good.