I don’t take my 7-seater on the track much 😉 , so most of my braking is on cold brakes

Are branded pads actually better for general urban and motorway chugging ?

Assuming everything’s a compromise, What I would prefer is to prioritise good stopping over longevity

Your recommendations are eagerly awaited
(I did have a quick google but soon descended into the ninth circle of twin-turbo/nitro boyracer hell)

I’ve tried them all over the years and for just normal every day driving I find OEM are best. Brake pads are about balancing different things – cold brake performance, quiet braking, dust production etc. and, surprise surprise, for normal driving the OEM’s generally get it right. On my SMax I got ‘OEM Quality’ discs and pads. They’re not OEM quality. The non-braked surfaces rust – perfectly OK but just looks crap and unsightly, and they are not as good under heavy braking as OEM pads. The discs are wearing quicker than the proper OEM ones. I saves maybe 10% or so over proper OEM pads and discs from the dealer parts counter, but next time i’ll be spending the 10% or so more.

You will get a lot of strong opinions on this, but for my ha’penneth I’ve used ECP’s own brand “Eicher” discs & pads on three cars and had no problems. A full set of discs & pads for my E46 BMW this year was £100. Bargain, IMO.

I use genuine parts on brakes. They’re not that expensive, they last a long time, and, crucially, my life and the lives of other people depend on them working.
One of those areas where I don’t mind paying a small amount over the cheapest price available.

I would stick with a well known brand, for example Bosch.

Pads aren’t expensive so no point trying to save a few pounds when they might save you life.

Car parts for less is worth checking

http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/

AH, sorry, perhaps I phrased badly up there

When I say branded, I mean notionally “posher” than manufacturer’s OEM – I’m not planning on having any old shite off ebay

In which case stick with OEM. If it’s good enough to be fitted in the factory, it’s good enough to use again when it’s time to replace.

When I say branded, I mean notionally “posher” than manufacturer’s OEM –

Stick to genuine factory pads. If you pootle around you don’t want them to spend half an hour warming up.
Beware Euro car parts brake pads. Compared side to side with genuine Subaru pads they only have 2/3 of the area of friction material, which can’t be good in any situation.