Recommendations for brand/type of new pads

Hi everyone I bought a 2012 V a month ago. I took it into the dealer for a safety recall, and they told me I have 2mm on the front pads. I work on my own cars as much as possible so I will buy the pads and put them on myself, and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a brand and store they bought them from? I will check on the price of Toyota pads but it is unlikely I will go that route, I have avoided parts and service from dealers like the plague all of my life. As far as pads it's been my experience that there are always numerous non-manufacturer brands that are equivalent to OEM.

 

I bought the car a month ago and I don't know the history of the brake maintenance, it has 185K on it so I would guess the pads have been changed once or perhaps twice. But as I said the dealer told me 2mm remaining, so I will change them pretty soon. You're right about the point about pad longevity; dealer pads are about $100 as opposed to $25 to $80 aftermarket. I might go with the Toyota pads for this. However what I was hoping to find is if anyone had any information on: If the Toyota stock pads are pure ceramic, and also if anyone has had experience with aftermarket non-ceramic pads.

Ceramic pads are all right, they make very little dust, last a long time, cause less wear on the rotor, and are less likely to make noise. But pads with metallic and/or organic material in them are better in one very important respect: they have a little bit better stopping power, especially in colder weather. Personally I would rather have messier pads that have to be replaced more often than have to deal with a smashed front end and deployed airbags because I couldn't stop quite as fast as I needed to one time.