Brake pads Raybestos or OEM Mazda

Raybestos Element 3. They last a while and bite pretty well when braking hard

Pretty happy with them so far.

I found Raybestos Element 3 pads and rotors were great on my 2011. The pads have a higher friction rating than the OE pads but still low dust and great feel and braking. Terrific value. The rotors are nice as well.

My 2011 2.5 has 220,000 miles on it and it is the most reliable car I’ve owned yet. I bought it used with 45k miles and I have only replaced the tires once, the brake pads once, one engine mount, all belts including timing, and that’s pretty much it. The transmission still shifts pretty smoothly.

Have had very good experiences with Raybestos Element 3. Excellent price as well.

I took apart my fronts on my 2016 Mazda at 50k and was surprised that they were still at 50%.

Surprisingly, it needed brake pads and rotors at 21k miles, and at $1,100 at a trusted local mechanic, it wasn't as cheap as I expected. When I bought the car with 1,400 miles on it, the piano black trim inside the car was already scratched, and it looks quite a bit worse now. I also have to echo the thin paint comments from above, I've never seen a car that scratches so easily. The car's manners on the highway at 70 mph+ are a little nervous for me. On the plus side, I've always enjoyed the way the car looks and drives around town. The interior does look way better than the original MSRP would suggest (even with scratches). And we've had no surprising issues, other than the early brake job.

i went with Raybestos Element, after reading they performed OK, and the price is fairly inexpensive. so far OK with minor issues. during installation, i shaved a hair off the pad material and the pad ears to get them to fit not as tightly. and after installation, the pad sometimes makes a click sound when changing direction of travel, or sudden acceleration after a complete stop. i think the pad is moving around in its mount and making a sound. did some searching and this might even happen with OEM to some people. i added more grease to the pad backing, noise went away for a few weeks, but later returned.

I've been replacing the brakes on my 2019 since it hit about 25k or so, rear have been done twice (I'm at 62k now and just did them the second time) and the front were done around 30k. My dealership outright told me Mazda brakes are garbage and these vehicles are not made for Canadian winters (regardless of what their advertising says). This new set is aftermarket so hopefully better but seriously my brakes have been so corroded it's unbelievable.

brake screech that's omni present