The Mechanics' Buying Guide - Compare Brake Pad Performance & Use

There can be many advantages and disadvantages of different brake pad types, depending on how you use and drive your car (and the same, of course, applies to other commercial vehicles). At Frontech, our team have many years of experience in the brake pad manufacturing industry, and we often advise our clients on the best brake pads for the vehicle make and model they are servicing – whether it’s a vehicle that has a large annual mileage, or a small car that leaves the driveway once a week! 

Semi-Metallic, Low-Metallic, and Ceramic Brake Pads

Knowing the difference and understanding how performance can vary between brake pad types is the first step to providing your clients with the best possible advice as a mechanic or distributor. The type may depend on the size of the vehicle, expected usage, and terrain, amongst other things. 

Generally speaking, semi-metallic brake pads are preferred for American cars such as Ford, Ram, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Jeep, and Chrysler as these types of brake pads provide smooth braking for SUVs which are very popular in America, as well as being suitable for use on a range of different road surfaces. 

Low-metallic brake pads, on the other hand, are popular in German cars such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Porsche as these types of vehicles are most suited for use on relatively flat, open roads which are common across Europe (and of course, other parts of the world as luxury cars tend to be a popular choice in large cosmopolitan cities everywhere!).

Lastly, we have ceramic brake pads, which we most commonly see in Japanese and Korean cars such as Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, Lexus, Hyundai, and Kai, and these are generally the most expensive type of brake pads as they provide the best performance for a range of vehicles, however, they also come with a luxury price tag. It is important to note, however, that while ceramic performs very well, it isn’t suitable for large, heavy-duty vehicles such as SUVs – for those, we would always recommend semi-metallic brake pads – or any vehicles being used on rough terrains such as mountain paths or loose gravel. 

Quick Guide To Brake Pad Performance Differences 

In the table below, we have laid out a quick guide to performance differences between our semi-metallic brake pads, low-metallic brake pads, and ceramic brake pads based on in-house testing and QA as well as client feedback. Please note individual results may vary slightly depending on the vehicle itself as well as how it’s being used. 

Brake Pad Warranty 

We appreciate that everyone will get different use out of their vehicle and people don’t drive the same way or the same amount of miles every day. This is why at Frontech, our brake pads have a warranty based on the distance travelled instead of the length of time the brake pads have been used – meaning you can still be under warranty even a few years after your purchase with us! 

We work with a range of businesses, mechanics, service centres, and distributors across the world – to find out more or request samples, please use our contact form.