Brakes for 2016 Outback

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Jan 23, 2003
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882
Location
ON, Canada
I am looking to replace the OEM front brakes on a 2016 Outback. I was thinking of trying Raybestos Element 3 pads and coated rotors but RockAuto has neither in stock. I can get them through another vendor but significantly more money. However, I can get Akebono ProAct Pads and Centric partially coated rotors for less money from RockAuto than the aforementioned Raybestos from another vendor.

FWIW, the rear brakes were replaced on this car a while ago and have Raybestos coated rotors along with Akebono pads. So not sure if it'd be better to go with a matching set of pads on the front. I am mostly looking for good brake life, performance and corrosion resistance (very harsh climate). The OEM brakes have held up well in those respects but I refuse to buy from the local Subaru dealer or pay the inflated OEM price. So just looking for the best quality aftermarket compromise for the money.
 
Often the rears on the Outbacks wear quicker than the fronts. I just did mine and went with Power Stop Evolution coated rotors and Power Stop ceramic pads. I had had EBC green stuff and EBC drilled rotors prior. Love EBC green but they are much more $$ and laster around 35-38k. They suffered from the road salt here for sure. Can't speak to how long the Power Stop pads will last but there is only a slight difference I notice in braking on dry or wet roads.

My OB is a 17.
 
I am beyond extraordinarily happy with my Advics pads and rotors I just put on my 4Runner. Looks like R-A has them for you. Much pricier for your setup than the Raybestos, so you'll have to make that decision.
 
All of the coated/painted aftermarket rotors are about the same. Just buy the most cost-effective ones. Amazon often has better pricing than Rockauto on the Raybestos Element3 rotors.

For pads, the Akebono's have gone up a lot in price.

The OE pads are now within $15 of them and the formula and hardware are better:
 
IMHO, if you can wait then do so and buy what you want.
Also, I normally try doing all work during warm and dry weather even if a bit premature to do that work, so I don't have to deal with unpleasant weather as I work on my cars in driveway or garage with door open :)
 
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It's weird how E3 sets are in abundance for some make/models at the rock or elseswhere, but not for others. I guess that's today's supply chain issues.

Every Subaru I owned 2012, 2014 and 2016 blew through rear pads and rotors in ~2yrs/36K miles.

I do love the raybestos E3's on my 2019 Ram 1500 classic and 2019 Nissan Pathfinder. Better feel and performance than OEM. How they last I'll have to see. 3yrs/40K is a lot in my area of the rust belt for today's vehicles.
 
Thanks for the info. I really don't care what brakes go on the car, just looking to get best bang for the buck. Like I said, I am just looking for a balance of longevity, corrosion resistance and stopping power. The Akebonos on the rear have seemed decent (I got about 55K miles out of the OEM rears before they wore out). I have used E3 pads on my truck and they have good reviews here which is why I also considered them.

Critic, I checked out those OEM eBay pads. Unfortunately being in Canada, I have import fees and extra shipping. After crunching the numbers for shipping and duty they are about 60% more than the Akebonos (which I agree are overpriced) at RockAuto. I checked Amazon for the Raybestos Element 3 pads and Rotors, and there are none available.

Does anyone know why the Centric rotors are partially coated?

If anyone has any other input, please offer it up.
 
I would recommend the same pads front to back. I’m also a fan of the E3s. They have more brake bite than the akebonos, so if you use them, the fronts will carry a greater portion of the effective braking, unless you go ahead and pad slap the rears too. They are inexpensive enough to do the back too at minimal cost. I’d do all 4.
 
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