In my experience, the OEM aftermarket pads are usually pretty good, but usually are a slightly different compound than the one sourced to the dealer. It all depends on year and model. Sometimes, they are similar, sometimes a little different, and sometimes they are the identical part. Its hard to tell what you are going to get. I have always used the aftermarket Textar pads and have never had a problem and found them to perform identical to the parts that you would buy at the dealer. Everytime I have used them, they have always been an exact fit.

If you want aftermarket, go with the Pagid, Jurid or Textar pads, they should all be pretty good on the W210. For rotors, go with the Balo, Zimmerman, or Brembo. Cross-drilled is not necessary unless you like the looks and/or cost. If you want the exact OEM part, I believe that fastlane usually has the pads with the three-pointed star. I have always gone with the OEM aftermarket and have yet to have a problem or find that the quality or performance of the brakes was anything less than OEM.

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Ali Al-Chalabi

2001 CLK55
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel
2002 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Merlin Extralight w/ Campy Record