The Best Performance Brake Pads for Your Daily Driver

If your brake pads have started making squeaking noises, it’s probably time to replace them. There are a wide variety of brake pads out there. However, you might wonder, “What are the best brake pads?”

You might think that upgrading your brake pads might be excessive if you’re just looking to replace your daily driver’s worn out pads. However, it can have a lot of benefits. You’ll have improved braking, which will make braking safer and more confidence-inspiring. It can also be cost-effective in the long run, since premium brake pads can last longer than your usual pads.

In this article, we’ll go through some pads that can give you better braking power while still being long-lasting and affordable.

Akebono Euro Ultra Series

Akebono Euro brake pads are ceramic brake pads designed to provide great braking performance, create little brake dust, and have a long lifespan.

The Akebono Euro Ultra Series is well-reviewed by the people who have bought them. They’re quiet, long-lasting, and don’t squeak even as their protective coating gets worn out.

Overall, Akebono Euro Ultra Series pads are probably the easiest to recommend to people who want brake pads that do it all. Akebono pads are also quite affordable compared to other mid-tier offerings.

Centric Posi-Quiet Series

Another great choice is Centric’s Posi-Quiet brake pad series. These pads are affordable, which makes them a good upgrade for many users because they provide better stopping power. Posi-Quiet pads live up to their name since they’re quiet during use.

These pads don’t need to be warmed up to brake effectively, nor do they create a lot of brake dust, which can save you trips to the car wash. The pads also fit perfectly, so they don’t rattle or fall out. The pads even bed quickly and have a long lifespan.

EBC Ultimax OEM Replacement

The EBC Ultimax OEM Replacement is also a good mid-range brake pad because of its good performance. The pads provide powerful and predictable braking performance in heavy braking situations. Compared to stock pads, the Ultimax is an upgrade in terms of braking performance.

These pads are also exceptionally quiet. They don’t create a lot of noise regardless of whether they’re in wet, dry, or cold environments. That said,these pads do leave a fair bit of material on the rotor, which can sometimes create some vibrations under braking. However, these are normal for any brake pad. Brake pad material on the rotor actually helps the rotor have a longer lifespan since the rotor isn’t being worn down as much during use.

Ultimax pads also do create a bit more dust than stock brake pads. However, if you don’t care much about brake dust, then these should prove to be a good replacement.

SureStop Pro-Line Series

SureStop’s Pro-Line series pads are meant to fit and function just like factory OEM parts. The brake pad kit comes with everything you need.

Unlike some brake pads that stink and smoke during their first usage, these SureStop pads don’t do that. The pedals do tend to feel slightly soft. However, the pads’ performance improves as they’re burnished and matched to the rotor’s surface.

SureStop’s Pro-Line series are also 20% to 40% more affordable when purchased here at CarParts.com compared to brick-and-mortar stores.

Raybestos R-Line Premium Ceramic Series

Another great all-around brake pad for everyday use is Reybestos’ R-Line Premium Ceramic Series. These pads also have a great blend of durability, performance, and value. At the same time, brake dust doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for them, which makes them great for daily drivers.

Things to Note When Choosing Brake Pads for Your Daily Driver

When it comes to brake pads, there are a wide range of price points to choose from. There’s the budget, mid-tier, and premium-tier brake pads. Overall, the general consensus is to avoid budget brake pads for two reasons. According to popular Youtube Channel Engineering Explained, the cheapest brake pads in the market tend to wear out much faster than the mid-tier brake pads. Budget pads might actually cost you more in the long run since you’ll need to replace them sooner. Secondly, some cheap pads can wear out your brake rotor faster. Going for a more expensive pad will likely make your brake rotor last longer, which can pay off in the long run.

Brake pads also have several key attributes that you should look out for. The most important are the rate in which the pads wear out, braking power, noise, and how much dust they create. Understanding and looking out for these characteristics in each brake pad is key if you want to find the brake pad that’s right for you.

These brake pads are all good because of their blend of durability, performance, and value. Want to know which one is the best brake pad? That’s a difficult question to answer without testing them side by side. That said, you won’t go wrong when choosing any of these pads.