Thanks J and Dave,

I've used Zimmerman once in the past on my former Volvo (V50, for which rears were available:-). I bought them on reputation, and they were fine. I generally don't have issues with brakes. I realize how stupid that sounds considering my stuck slider pins, but I'm going to shuck blame on that one.

Anyway, what's done is done with regards to my rotor choice. I've already got the fashion aspect out of my system (not to say I regret the drilled rotors, the result was merely "meh" for me). When or if I have to do it over, I'm advised.

I also concur with the OE pad choice when it comes to pedal feel. And this is where I feel conflicted. I feel like bite should be a priority, but I also hate cleaning, and (I'll blame this on mid-life crisis) I've become fussy about how my car looks.

So I need better fitting pads, and it's down to this: Good initial bite, or dramatically less dust. I've used both OE and ceramics (Akebono) on other cars, so I'm aware of the tradeoff. I'm simply not sure if I should make that trade at this point. And of course that's a question only I can answer.

As far as Brembo pads vs Akebono, that's an easy one: Go with Akebono since I know what to expect.