On our Q7 I did OEM pads the first change. Buit on the second change I used Centric semi metallic pads and Centric rotors. I have been very happy with them. They are about 15,000 miles in now. Performance has been at least as good as OEM. A bit less dust.

When you installed the Akebono ceramics did you notice ANY decrease in initial bite (friction coefficient) relative to the OEM semi metallic pads?I tried a set of Hawk Performance Ceramics several years ago and did not keep them mounted because they required more pedal pressure.

I honestly don’t recall ever feeling a difference, but it’s been a while since install and I didn’t spend much time with the OEMs on both cars since they were CPO cars.I would go with the Akebono again and again on these cars, and the lack of brake dust and no squeaking is a great bonus.

Stock rotors and pads suck on Audi. Always have. Perhaps better on an RS, but the A models have crummy pads and rotors. They are lcd components, mAde for the lowest common denominator of drivers. Housewifes, Lexus drivers. High initial grab and then fade, dust and pad compounds lead to transfer to the rotors, simulating warping. Plus the iron is relatively soft. If you love driving your 7, stay away from Oem Audi pads. From many years of Audi work and from what I have read, Akebono Euro pads are the most used replacement pads. I have used them for years and put them on my A7. The combination of the pads and Stoptech performance rotors has been dramatic. The precision of the braking now matches the handling and performance. The only “downside” to Ake and Stoptech is that they need a touch of warming, they will not stop on a dime, with the pressure of one toe, when the car is dead cold. Not the warming of a race pad, but they do not have the obnoxious initial bite of OEM. And i am thrilled. What you get in exchage is a pad that is consistent, does not fade easily, and gives predicable performance. It also handles Colorado mountain descents in style. IIRC, Stoptech and Centric are the same company. Centric is the parent, I think. The performance stuff is great value. And works flawlessly. I have used four sets on different full size Audis in the past few years. As for Ake, There are higher performance pads out there. I used to use the them in my youth. I dont need that level of performance or lengthy warm up. At my age and driving style. Every time in my A7, I am thrilled i threw out the oem pads and rotors at 10k. One last point, oem pads and rotors are very very very prone to pad material transfer bonding to the rotors. Zimmermann has a great article explaining it. It feels just like a warped disk and just as un-drive able. From my decades of experience and reading many many forums, non-oem pads and rotors, like Ake, Stoptech, Zimmermann, Centric, DO NOT appear to have issues with the pad material transfer/warping issues of oem.

Akebono are virtually fadeless compared to oem. You are correct, its the pad and rotors. I have never seen a street driven car benefit from SS brake lines, unless the rubber oem lines were so old as to be balloning. They are a gimmick. Note that many companies make an oem equivalent pad that is just as soft and jerky and dirty as pagid made audi pads, such as Textar, TRW, Ferodo.