If all you do is normal everday driving, and you require discs and pads that will do the job intended without compromise, then look at EuroCarParts. (don’t forget the discount codes)
Look for Mintex, Pagid or Eicher discs and pads.
All are OEM quality, not mickey mouse cheap ebay rubbish, but good quality braking parts designed to operate as Mazda would have intended.
I replaced all four corners on mine at a total cost of around £200.
When I stamp on the middle pedal, the car will pull my face off.
I’ll go as far to say that tyres would give way under braking before the brakes did.
As an example 18.01.2019, I purchased 2 front Eicher discs and a set of front pads for my son in laws 2006 2.0 VW Passat at a cost of £77.75.
The job took me about 30 minutes per side.
Personally I wouldn’t even consider the more expensive yellow stuff etc, unless I were doing track days.
Think the issue with the discs and uneven pad wear is poor quality calipers.My mk3 rears where terrible so bought new rear calipers,discs , pads & slider pin set(not mazda).
Even though the front discs looked shiny i decided to strip them only to find the front pistons rusty.So new calipers,discs , pads & slider pin set.The car has been used every day in all weather this year and ive done 9k since the brake change.Everything is free of rust and brake efficiency spot on.I had the old calipers stripped and rebuilt with new pistions ect and keot as spare.
You look at most MX5 and nearly all have very poor looking rear brakes.They look like 1iinch of pad is actually making contact with the. disc.This has also been widely talked about with the MK4.
Don’t worry too much about only part of the rear discs being shiny. The rear pads do not cover the whole of the disc surface by design. I suspect this is to prevent the rear wheels locking up under heavy braking and I do realise that there is also a brake proportioning valve.
However the shiny bit should be smooth and without ridges on both sides of the disc for effective brear braking.
Success! After a cold, wet and windy couple of January weeks parked at Gatwick with the wheel covers in place, the discs were clean and shiny when I removed the covers. I’ll be using them again in March.
Compare this with seeing the discs skinning up with rust while still washing the car! (Which is easily fixed by a ten minute blow-dry and brake-polish on some nice quick local roads.)
