Review on 🦅 Hawk Performance HB543F.760 HPS Ceramic Brake Pad for Enhanced Performance by Nikith Brewster

I have a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan 4WD and have fitted these pads on all four corners with new discs (with specially machined discs which is an advantage to me versus stock performance). I have mixed feelings about the Hawks' performance, but overall I'm not happy and I regret the purchase. I read a few reviews here on Revain that said the pads weren't that great. And one in particular said that the "bite" (initial grip) of the pads was disappointing compared to the OEM. I bought the pads anyway because most of the reviews are positive and these are the pads that Tire Rack recommended to me. My goals in purchasing non-OEM pads were to improve braking performance (although I think the stock Tiguan brakes are excellent and among the best cars I've ever owned) and reduce brake dust (or ideally it). to eliminate). These pads achieved the latter, but at the expense of initial bite and noise. Before I continue, I should point out that I have followed the Hawk's "Fit” procedure and have now ridden at least 2,000 miles on these pads. My frustration with these pads stems from their poor performance when I first hit the brake pedal. With the original pads, grip was immediate and the Tiguan felt like it could avoid any emergency. With these pads the pedal is now fuzzy and I have to apply significantly more force before getting effective stopping power than was required with standard pads. And as I navigate the parking lot, I feel like I'm exceeding my braking goals because I'm still driving the car based on brake response with the original pads. I had to change my behavior significantly when braking. Ditto for bumper moves where I sometimes got a lot closer to the person in front of me as the brake pads had stopped the car, which I think is acceptable. a groaning noise, say, at the last step of deceleration. This noise is similar to what I've heard on used cars I've had years ago where there was some kind of film on the rotors and pads (which I was sometimes able to eliminate by sanding the pads and rotors). But these are brand new pads and rotors! (And yes, the new rotors were washed thoroughly before installation to remove any film or oil from them.) The pads also make noise at higher speeds. Frequent screeching when going through a traffic light. Sometimes it's a bit embarrassing. I know really high performance pads squeak regularly and I got used to putting some killer pads on my old '83 GTI (can't remember what they were but they were amazing). But the standard Tiguan pads have done their job perfectly and are free of this shortcoming. The only area where these pads really outperform standard pads is in stopping them as quickly as possible at high speed. On the occasions where I actually had to anchor on the boulevard to avoid cars ahead, these pads responded admirably. And just like that, when I step on the brake pedal for fun on a ramp, they do a great job. I judge this aspect of performance solely based on the fit of my pants, so I honestly can't say if they perform any better than standard in that regard. They couldn't be any different, but I think they're a little bit better. Performance pads usually fade a lot better than standard pads and I have no doubt the same applies to these Hawks. But I don't do autocross with my Tig, so fading isn't an issue in my life and I can't comment on that range of performance. These pads create less dust on my alloy wheels than stock pads. But to be honest I would love to go back to the stock dust levels if I could bring the stock specs back. All in all I am disappointed with these pads and would not recommend buying them. I don't think their compromises are worth it for the typical rider.