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For an average vehicle such as a 2002 Honda Accord that is used for regular driving around town, to and from work, etc. and absolutely not use for performance activities such as racing, and also no regular aggressive braking, are performance brake pads worth the extra cost for the average, non-racing typical use? Should performance brake pads be expected to last any longer than regular, inexpensive brake pads in this case?

Are there any other factors to consider in the decision, such as the brake rotors, and matching comparable brake rotors to the pads that are being put on the vehicle?

I haven't paid much attention to brake pads in the past and let the shop put on whatever they normally put on, but I recently watched videos recommending performance brake pads from manufacturers such as Akebono and NRS due to their quality, which are clearly more expensive than the usual ones.

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  • A shopping question, but not heard of those makes, how about Mintex, Ferodo, AP etc
    – Solar Mike
    Sep 6, 2019 at 4:06

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This question is very close to being off topic for me, so I'm going to answer with information for the OP to make their own conclusion by addressing the practical aspects.

Cheaper brake pads are usually made of non-metallic materials pressed together, they give decent performance but wear out faster. More expensive pads are usually semi-metallic which give better performance and wear out slower. Brake pads are generally pretty cheap, it's the labor to change them that costs, so putting semi-metallic pads may save you on maintenance costs. You are unlikely to notice much of a performance benefit in regular driving.

The other consideration is that your brakes need other maintenance than just pad replacement. Your rotors wear as well, so if your rotors wear out before your pads you haven't really saved anything. So if the cost difference of putting semi-metallics on is low it may be worth it to you. Brand is not as important as material: many companies make several grades of pads from "cheap-n-nasty" to "OMG how much?", so you have to look at what they are made of.

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  • Personally I used EBC GREENSTUFF for my MX5 and they last long and can endure a bit more aggressive use. The performance is quite a bit better from stock and they are easy on the rotors, they don't wear them out too much.
    – Alimba
    Sep 6, 2019 at 9:06

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