I've been running Carquest air filters and they're really decent. The "blue" premium filters do have more pleats than the "red" economy line too. The media in the "red" line is also more of a brownish color too. Reminds me of a slightly bleached grocery sack material compared to the white media of the "blue" premium filters. Both have worked just fine in my application with no real noticeable difference in performance between the two. I never let my filter get so dirty that I'd ever notice a difference in dirt-holding ability, so for me the cheaper line is more than adequate.