Brake pads R1 Concepts or OEM Subaru
I have a 2017 Forester XT with 131,000 miles - have only done routine maintenance and have had to replace brakes front and rear as well as both control arms and struts, all expected with this many miles on it. I plan to keep it for as long as I can. Love it!
I do the minor maintenance myself: oil/filter, air filters, wiper blades.
I save enough $$ on the DIY portion, so I don't mind using my dealer for the other stuff: front & rear dif fluids, CVT fluid, brake fluid, brake pads, etc.
2011 2.5 Outback, just turned 255,000 miles. One set of brake pads
I might get scolded by the purest, but I went with these R1 Concepts on my 2019 X5.\n\nI too was shocked when the dealer quoted over 2k for brakes, so I started looking at options. I\u2019ve had them for about two years, they have performed excellent and they look amazing.
2022 Outback, 144k, never had any problems. Have replaced tires, brakes,and the battery. Follow all mfg recommendations for service. Always dealer serviced. Very happy with mine.
I would suggest going to [www.buybrakes.com](http://www.buybrakes.com) and get the R1 Concepts pads for the front and rear. The ones Rockauto has growl a little bit.
I slapped in some r1 concepts pads and rotors on both of my Subarus after the oem ones kept warping.
We were quoted slightly over $1000 USD for brake pads and rotor resurfacing. \ud83e\udd72 Dealership quote. Going to another shop.
Bro they're trying to fuck you hard. Take that vehicle somewhere else and never go back. No way the rear pads should be at 2mm after only 30k miles
The stock brake pads leave much to be desired.
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Which brake pads to choose — R1 Concepts or OEM Subaru?
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 — OEM Subaru or R1 Concepts?
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads R1 Concepts were overall better than OEM Subaru.
- R1 Concepts received a PR Score of 76 out of 100, and OEM Subaru scored 59 points.
- R1 Concepts ranked 24 in the overall ranking, and OEM Subaru ranked 40.
- The average rating is higher for R1 Concepts (4) than for OEM Subaru (3.2).
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Brake pads R1 Concepts have better feature ratings than OEM Subaru:
- Noise - owners believe, that this property for OEM Subaru is better than R1 Concepts.
- Braking - drivers claim, that this property for R1 Concepts is outperforms OEM Subaru.
- Dust - reviews suggest, that this property for R1 Concepts is preferred to OEM Subaru.
Which brake pads are more popular — R1 Concepts or OEM Subaru?
Brake pads R1 Concepts and OEM Subaru were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, brake pads R1 Concepts surpassed OEM Subaru:
- For R1 Concepts, the ratio of positive (90) to negative (27) votes is 63 votes.
- For OEM Subaru, the ratio of positive (149) to negative (101) votes is 48 votes.
By number of reviews, brake pads OEM Subaru surpassed R1 Concepts:
- For brake pads R1 Concepts there are 37 reviews: 26 positive, 6 neutral, 5 negative.
- For brake pads OEM Subaru there are 79 reviews: 41 positive, 13 neutral, 25 negative.
Which brake pads do car owners prefer — R1 Concepts or OEM Subaru?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads OEM Subaru led more car-specific ratings than R1 Concepts:
OEM Subaru are chosen by owners of cars such as: Subaru Forester, and others.
Brake pads R1 Concepts have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
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 R1 Concepts with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech.
Also available: comparisons of brake pads OEM Subaru with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech.
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.