The Subaru Forester is an all wheel drive family wagon that has many high performance capabilities.
Because of its responsive acceleration, you are going to want brakes that are just as sensitive to the touch and have superior stopping power.
Getting the right set of brake pads for your Subaru Forester can greatly improve your Forester’s already impressive handling and quick response.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How braking can improve the all wheel drive experience
- Which brake pads are the best for a Subaru Forester
- What is to look for in a the right brake pads
- And a lot more!
Below is our quick list of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester. Keep reading to learn more of our top tips to choose and use the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
My Top Pick  | My Top Pick | Akebono-ACT1336A Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads
|
| View on Amazon |
Best High-End  | Best High-End | Hawk Performance HB533F.668 HPS Performance Ceramic Brake Pad
|
| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | Wagner ZD1114 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
|
| View on Amazon |
 | StopTech 309.10780 Sport Brake Pads
|
| View on Amazon | |
 | Bosch BC721 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
|
| View on Amazon |
What's in this Guide?
Our Overall Top #1 Pick: Akebono-ACT1336A Ultra-Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pads
These Ultra-Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pads by Akebono are a high performance choice for the Subaru Forester.
The high-density friction area is perfect for keeping your stopping distance low and the connection between the pedal and the brakes extra close.
In an all wheel drive car like the Forester, it is incredibly important to have complete control when stopping as well accelerating . This gives you a well-rounded performance no matter what conditions you are driving under.
The high-density ceramic friction area gives you the best possible connection to the road through the pedals. It also helps reduce dust and keep your wheels clean, as well as the environment.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Brake Pads for Chevy Silverado
Top 5 Best Brake Pads for Subaru Forester
In a hurry? Check out our top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these top 5 best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
- Akebono-ACT1336A Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads (Our Top Pick)
- Hawk Performance HB533F.668 HPS Performance Ceramic Brake Pad (Best High-End Pick)
- Wagner ZD1114 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set (Best Budget Pick)
- StopTech 309.10780 Sport Brake Pads
- Bosch BC721 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
Why Do You Need High Quality Brake Pads for a Subaru Forester?
One of the major selling points of the Subaru Forester is its safety and all wheel drive performance. This is what it has become known for over the years and is why many families choose it for their daily driver.
The Subaru Forester is designed to feel safe and responsive no matter what kind of driving conditions you are rolling through. This is done through its all wheel drivetrain and quick acceleration capabilities.
In order to keep your Subaru Forester as safe as possible, it is incredibly important for the brakes to be as quick feeling and responsive as possible. This is especially true when driving in wet weather or snow and ice.
By using the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester, you can enhance the driving feel of your car exponentially. Stopping power is just as important as acceleration, and it can go a long way towards feeling safe and driving safe.
How to Pick the Best Brake Pads for a Subaru Forester?
Picking the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester is a fairly simple process. As long as they use high quality materials and have a few specific features, they will be perfect for this comfortable family SUV.
For brake pads to be the best choice for a Subaru Forester, they should:
- Use a ceramic friction area. This is the most responsive and powerful material for brake pads.
- Use quality parts. When brake pads start to deteriorate, they can lose their stopping ability. High quality parts will prevent this from happening.
- Have a long life. The Subaru Forester is known for its longevity on the road. Your brake pads should have the same quality.
- Mitigate brake dust. Brake dust occurs when the friction area starts to wear down. High quality pads will help reduce dust and be better for the environment.
Now that we know what to look for, let’s take a look at what factors are important in high quality brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Brake Pads for Chevy Silverado
Friction Material: Which Material is Best for a Subaru Forester?
Brake pads use friction to grab onto the wheels’ rotors and bring the car to stop. In order for this to be effective, they must use a high quality friction area that can withstand high levels of pressure. The types of materials generally used for brake pads are:
- Organic
- Ceramic
- Metallic
The best brake pads for a Subaru Forester will use a ceramic friction area to squeeze the rotors. That’s why we have chosen all ceramic pads for our list of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
Ceramic is an incredibly dense and high pressure material. Because of this, it will give you the shortest possible stopping distance when you apply the brake pedal. Combining this with the responsive handling of an all wheel drive will give you an incredibly safe and effective driving experience.
This video explains some of the benefits of using ceramic pads for your car as opposed to metallic or organic pads:
Brake Dust: Where Does it Come From?
Brake dust can be a major issue for all wheel drive cars. Because there is power going to every wheel, you will need the same amount of stopping power for each on as well.
When there is a lot of pressure put on brake pads, they tend to wear down and the friction areas generate a fine dust. All wheel drive vehicles like the Forester need a lot of brake pressure in order to be effective, so dust can generate quickly.
When a lot of brake dust is generated, this usually means that the pads are prematurely wearing down and deteriorating. By using ceramic pads like the ones we have chosen for our list, you can not only get a longer life out of each set, but also help keep dust out of the air.
Subaru Foresters are known for being fairly eco-friendly cars, so any little thing that can help lower your carbon footprint is worth doing.
Heat Transfer: How Can You Lower it?
While ceramic pads are the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester, they have a tendency to heat up with heavy use.
This heat can transfer to the rest of your braking system and cause deterioration and damage in the brake lines and other sensitive parts.
To help cut this heat down, the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester will have slotting that helps heat escape. This slotting lets the pads breathe and gives the heat somewhere else to go besides into your braking system.
The all wheel drive of the Forester means that there is heavier use on the front brake pads. Because of this, the pads you choose must be able to withstand heat and disperse it evenly.
All of the choices on our list of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester will have more than sufficient slotting for heat transfer. Because of this, each set will give you longevity and high performance throughout the entirety of the pad’s life.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Brake Pads for F250 Super Duty
Our Reviews of the Best Brake Pads for a Subaru Forester
1. Akebono-ACT1336A Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads
Akebono’s Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake pads are one of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester due to their high-pressure friction area.
The larger ceramic pad gives you a tighter braking response than some of the thinner pads available on the market.
This, in turn, gives you a shorter stopping distance, even at higher speeds. Combining this with the all wheel drive of the Forester gives you an incredibly dynamic driving experience.
They also meet OEM specifications, meaning they are specifically designed for the Forester and will have a perfect fit. This helps mitigate any vibration or noise.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Large pad area + Tight braking response + Meets OEM specs | – Large pad may generate more heat – Not as heavily slotted as some pads |
2. Hawk Performance HB533F.668 HPS Performance Ceramic Brake Pad
Hawk’s Performance series of brake pads are a high end choice for the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
With a high amount of torque and friction at any temperature, they are perfect for those who regularly drive in colder climates.
The unique Ferro-Carbon formula of the friction area gives an incredible grip on the rotors. This results in a 20-40 percent decrease in stopping distance.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Specially formulated friction area + High performance in cold weather + Low stopping distance | – Shorter lifespan – Higher friction can generate more dust |
3. Wagner ZD1114 Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
These pads by Wagner are designed to restore your Forester’s braking performance to its original level.
This original-equipment fit gives the pads an even wear throughout their entire life. An even wear promotes responsive braking, even as the pads start to wear down over time.
The ceramic friction areas are specifically formulated to be the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester. This helps reduce brake dust and lowers stopping distance at the same time.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Model specific design + Original equipment fit + Specially formulated friction areas | – Susceptible to heat – Not recommended for colder temperatures |
4. StopTech 309.10780 Sport Brake Pads
These Sport brake pads by StopTech are another high quality entry on our list of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
Their high max temperature formula makes them perfect for use with an all wheel drive vehicle.
These pads have an ability to deliver a low stopping distance, even when they are running at a high temperature.
Because of this, you can be confident that they are giving you the best performance year-round. Approved for light-track racing use, they are sure to be sufficient for your family SUV.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + High temperature operation + Ceramic friction area + Heavy duty hardware | – Less slotting than other models – High pressure friction area generates dust |
5. Bosch BC721 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad Set
The QuietCast Premium Ceramic Brake Pad Set by Bosch uses a rubber core in the friction area to help reduce noise and vibrations.
The aerospace alloy of the hardware is tough enough for almost any application in your Subaru Forester.
They also use a protective transfer layer on the friction area to help increase longevity and give the pads a longer life.
They also feature a large amount of heat transferring slotting that helps keep the temperature down on the rest of the braking system.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Rubber core + High quality hardware + Heavily slotted | – Rubber core generates dust – Transfer layer can be noisy |
Our Top Pick: Akebono-ACT1336A Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pads
The high pressure friction area of these Akebono pads makes them one of the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
By putting the most amount of friction on the rotors, they will be the most responsive pads you can find on the market. In an all wheel drive car like the Forester, this is an incredibly important feature.
Responsive braking is one of the things that makes a car feel safe on the road. The more connected you are to the pedal, the better you will drive and the safer your cargo or family will be in your Subaru Forester.
Final Thoughts On the Best Brake Pads for a Subaru Forester
Hopefully, by reading this article, you have a good idea of what to look for in the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester.
All the pads on our list will be a good choice for your Forester. They all promote safe driving and a responsive braking feel that will give you more confidence on the road.
By knowing what to look for, you can find the best brake pads for a Subaru Forester. This will give you the best driving experience possible and help you feel safe and secure in your family’s SUV.
