2023 Top Brake Pads - A Comparison

Brake pads are an essential component of your vehicle's braking system, responsible for safe and timely stops. With the increasing demands of performance and reliability, it is important to choose the right brake pads for your vehicle. The market is flooded with various brake pads, each with its unique set of pros and cons. This blog will summarize some of the most popular brake pads on the market, highlighting their key features, benefits, and drawbacks to help you make an informed decision. Whether looking for affordability, performance, or durability, this guide will help you find the right brake pads for your vehicle.

Akebono supplies original equipment brake pads for various carmakers and offers factory replacement brakes for almost every car model. Akebono Ultra-premium ceramic pads are rigorously tested on racetracks worldwide to ensure that it matches OE specifications. 

Pros: 

• OE fit, form and function

• Ceramic material enhances pad life

• Premium-quality

Cons:

• Pricey for factory replacement brake pads

• Marginally less stopping power than stock pads from a cold start, but equal performance once the vehicle has been in motion for a short time

• Not high-performance brakes despite ceramic construction

  
  

Pros:

• Excellent price for a performance brake pad 

• Well made

• Includes anti-squeal and anti-corrosion lubricant for the back of pad and brake hardware

Cons:

• Not available for every vehicle

• Marginally less stopping power than stock pads from a cold start

  
  

Pros:

• Available for a wide range of models 

• Strong stopping power without fading, quick warm-up process

• Included shims and wear indicators

Cons:

• Produces more brake dust than regular pads

• Some owners report noise in stop-and-go traffic

• Only vigorous driving will reveal the added stopping power, so not for casual use

  
  

Pros:

• Cost-effective 

• Excellent quality

• Available for an array of vehicles

Cons:

• Slightly pricier than metallic or off-brand ceramic pads

• Many part numbers make ordering complex

  
  

Pros:

• Inexpensive no-frills pad set for the skilled mechanic

• High quality

• Available for a wide variety of vehicles

Cons:

• Only a skilled mechanic should identify whether shims and wear indicators are reusable

• Just the pads, no hardware or lubricant provided

• Adding extra hardware if needed later eliminates the savings