Brake pads Bosch or Hawk Performance
I've heard good stuff about the Hawk ones but I use Hawk HPS myself
I just put Zimmerman rotors and Bosch pads on my front end for ~$400. Worth every penny.
Check Rockauto. I replaced my brakes about 2 years ago with Dynamic Friction Geospec coated rotors and Bosch quiet cast pads. Still in great condition and stops on a dime.
Stoptech stainless steel brake lines and slotted Rotors, Hawk ceramic pads.
For very little money I also upgraded the brakes to StopTech slotted rotors, braided SS brake lines, and Hawk HP pads. Never had brake fade even at tracks like Road America with heavy high speed braking.
I went with Bosch pads this time on OEM rotors.
I'm running standard DBA 4000 blank rotors with Hawk HPS 5.0 pads. My only complaint is they seem to make a lot of brake dust so I'll probably try other pads when these wear through.
Consider Carbotech pads. I ran XP12/XP10 combo. They worked well on my C5. I tried the Hawk DTC70/60 combo and didn't like how fast they could eat a rotor. The stopping force on them is incredible.
Just put Zimmerman rotors and the Hawk Street pads on my non- PP gti. These pads unfortunately shift up and down and make a loud “clank” when braking on transition from 1st to reverse. They still bite great
I had DTC70s for about 2 months and tossed them without even using them up. Terrible pad. Never used a Hawk pad I liked.
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Which brake pads to choose — Bosch or Hawk Performance?
If choosing brake pads across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare brake pads across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which brake pads are better — Hawk Performance or Bosch?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Hawk Performance were overall better than Bosch.
- Bosch received a PR Score of 85 out of 100, and Hawk Performance scored 81 point.
- Bosch ranked 7 in the overall ranking, and Hawk Performance ranked 4.
- The average rating is higher for Bosch (4.1) than for Hawk Performance (4).
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Brake pads Bosch have better feature ratings than Hawk Performance:
- Noise - owners believe, that this property for Bosch is better than Hawk Performance.
- Dust - drivers claim, that this property for Bosch is outperforms Hawk Performance.
- Braking - reviews suggest, that this property for Bosch is preferred to Hawk Performance.
Which brake pads are more popular — Bosch or Hawk Performance?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Hawk Performance were overall more popular than Bosch.
By vote balance, brake pads Hawk Performance surpassed Bosch:
- For Bosch, the ratio of positive (338) to negative (56) votes is 282 votes.
- For Hawk Performance, the ratio of positive (1010) to negative (230) votes is 780 votes.
By number of reviews, brake pads Hawk Performance surpassed Bosch:
- For brake pads Bosch there are 127 reviews: 104 positive, 13 neutral, 10 negative.
- For brake pads Hawk Performance there are 396 reviews: 302 positive, 52 neutral, 42 negative.
Which brake pads do car owners prefer — Bosch or Hawk Performance?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads Hawk Performance led more car-specific ratings than Bosch:
Hawk Performance are chosen by owners of cars such as: Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Toyota Supra, Volkswagen Scirocco, and others.
Bosch are chosen by owners of cars such as: Kia Sorento, Mazda 5, Volkswagen Beetle, and others.
Other comparisons of brake pads
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of brake pads Bosch with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex, Raybestos.
Also available: comparisons of brake pads Hawk Performance with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex, Raybestos.
You can also see who is better among other brake pads manufacturers: EBC or POWER STOP, EBC or Akebono, EBC or Hawk Performance, Brembo or EBC, Akebono or POWER STOP.