Whenever it's time for new brakes???
 

I'm looking for recommendations for my 2010 Mazda 3 i-touring with 38,000 miles.

When my brakes pads need changed (not sure when that will be) I want to buy good quality brake pads and also put new rotors on since rotors are not very expensive.

Does anyone recommend any brand and part # in particular for my year, make and model.

I live in PGH, PA and the weather is cold, snowy, salty in the winter and changes to warmer in the summer. We have lots of hills. I don't drive hard on my brakes in my opinion and try to baby them without quick stops when I can manage it.

I want to do the labor myself.

Thanks for your input.

I can't make a real endorsement, but at least give you some info on the brakes I got last year. They are a set of powerstop / brakemotive rotors & pads from eBay. They are wearing fine, but do have some vibration that I think is due to the incorrect spacing of the slots compared with the pad size.
They were also zinc plated or something, and while it's not very corroded, the 'hat' has some surface rust on it after the winter... so that coating may not survive in PA either. They are cheap though, at under $200 for the whole set.
I don't see any inprovement in braking power, even though the drilled/slotted design is supposed to do that. I'm basing that on the fact that it doesn't trip the ABS system under max braking on dry roads... the stock ones didn't either. I don't think i'm that far from the point of skidding during braking, but it's not a dramatic difference or anything.
Another thing that I think is due to the slots, is a noise similar to running a wet finger over a hole - or a faint 'card in the spokes' sort of noise. This noise is only there when braking , and isn't annoying, just something that passers by will hear.

Good luck.

vibration is usually due to lateral runout. clean all hub and rotor mounting surfaces with a wire brush or sandpaper and measure your lateral runout with a dial gauge. mfg spec is usually within 0.05mm

slots and crossdrilled holes will not usually cause vibration. performance of the slots/holes are not dependent on the sweep area of the pads either. so it is ok that the slots and holes don't match the area that the pad contacts the rotors.

the zinc coating may appear to rust and collect salt/dirt. but believe me, it is much better than not having the coating. rust forms way too easily and the zinc coating does a great job of preventing the wheel from seizing to the rotor. next time you change your brakes just take some brake cleaner, a wire or nylon brush, and clean the salt/debris before reinstalling the wheels. for a cleaner look, clean/sand thoroughly and paint the hats with a high temp paint like VHT caliper paint or some other high heat paint.

a slotted/crossdrilled rotor won't necessarily reduce stopping distance or "improve braking power." the design is intented to evacuate heated gasses expelled during heavy, repetative braking, such as motorsport or prolonged track use. the benefit would be less brake fade. for a street application it is almost entirely for looks alone. if you run a more aggressive pad you will get heavy glazing on the OEM rotor which can result in deep grooves. slots will help reduce the visibility of the grooves by cutting into the pad as you apply the brakes. do not be disappointed if you do not "feel" better braking. for the most noticable improvement, go for stainless steal braided brake lines.

the aeroplane noise experienced by your rotors is normal, it subsides after proper bed-in and several miles of driving. you will still occasionally hear the noise but it is the nature of the rotors and the pad.

the best compromise for noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) and rotor/pad life is the OEM pad from the mfg. your mazda dealer will usually stock the value line of pads which is meets/exceeds the factory pads.

for aftermarket, try to look for a ceramic pad which offers low dust, low NVH, but can be more expensive.

on centric premium rotors, the non-swept areas are coated black to prevent corrosion. stoptech, which is owned by centric, offers the same black coating on a slotted/crossdrilled performance rotor.

i have also had good luck with EBC 3GD rotors. zinc coated and rather than crossdrilled, they are dimpled and slotted. it offers the look of crossdrilled rotors without the drawbacks.

i dont know if brembo offers OEM replacement parts for the 2010 but hey, brembos! as far as other offerings for your 2010 model i'm afraid availability may be scarce. i'm not sure if 04-08 models brake systems carry over to the 09+

Brembo has always been the most reliable braking systems for cars! It can cost a bit but the car would stop faster compared to other brands.