I switched to Akebono ceramic compound after about six months of trying the Hawk HPS street pads. Performance is on par with OEM but I was looking for something that has less brake dust.
+1 for Akenbono for 99% street usage.
The issue with the brakes is mainly from the oe brake pads which have no pedal modulation and act like an on/off switch. You can change out the front pads to Akebono Euro pads (fairly inexpensive) and it will provide actual pedal control of the brakes.
I consider my W204 C63 visceral, even if not analog. The 6.2 V8 makes all kinds of nasty noises you would not expect from a Mercedes and it howls all the way up to 7200rpm, which may not be that high, but still impresses me given the size of the engine. The car is quick, noisy and has the brakes to back it up.
Vary rpm, don't max load, don't overheat, motor in gear when decelerating is good for the rings. generally keep rpm below 5500 for the 1st 500 miles or so but the odd move up the tach to there won't hurt anything. I change the oil somewhere before 2k miles to get the build contaminants and more significant wear particles out.
They sent out an email today that they are now stocking Akebono Brake pads, which are probably the best for any VW, very good quality and low dust.
On my heavier vehicles I've used Akebono ProACT pads and gotten better than OEM life out of them.
I highly recommend akebono euro brake pads, especially on DSG cars to remove the grabbiness at low speed. Great cheap upgrade for new car.
I ran Akebono pads on my ZHP coupe and they were great. Slightly less initial bite than stock, requiring a slightly firmer foot on the pedal, and also need to warm up a bit for full grip - but beyond that, clean as a whistle and they wear forever.
Like others have said, these are great if your looking for less dust, but definitely lack the bite of OE pads. They will still stop just fine, but just don’t expect that crisp initial bite you get with OE pads.
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