I've used semi-metallic brake shoes and pads for so long I don't remember when I started. They're good, or have been and have no complaints. I wonder if the factory still uses organic or something similar today. I get a kick of terms like factory approved parts and the like. Some of which I would not use if they were given to me on a gold platter.
I have recently used Ceramic brake pads. I've been hearing about them for about 10 years or so, both good and bad. Good, the front wheels don't get dirty from brake dust and if I am racing on closed track they stop well even though you can see the rotors glowing RED from speeds of 200 mph. Of course the last time I tried that in rush hour things got a bit sporty!
The bad, they eat rotors.
However this is the third MOPAR van I've owned recently and they seem to be a bit shy on brakes and HEAVY. I also have my T&C set up to carry 2000# and do regularly. I bought it new and went through the front brakes at 20,000 miles. (Also tearing up a rotor in the process), including having the front wheels turn BLACK from brake dust at least once a week.
I really got tired of looking and cleaning my aluminum 17 inch wheels.
I bought a rotor, threw the old one on my work bench an installed Ceramics.
30,000 miles later the fronts still have about another 5000 on them. A+
They have chewed on the rotor, more than I wanted, less than what I was lead to believe they would. Another +
I do not normally re-surface a rotor unless it is chewed up so bad that the rotor pulls to one side when the brakes are applied or is warped and I can feel it in the brake pedal. So I may have to change that using ceramics.
Cost of a new rotor = $100
Cost of resurfacing the rotor I chewed up in the first place, it was salvageable = $12.00. I can deal with that.
I won't know more until I can deal with going out in this triple digit heat and pull things apart, but if one or both rotors are salvageable on the car, another $12.00 to surface it and about $50.00 worth of ceramic pads are a good deal in my book. If the rotors are so worn I can not re-use them with out re-surfacing, well, the brakes actually worked so much better than semi-metallic to me it will be worth it.
Twice the brake mileage and better stopping power (perceived anyway) are worth something.

 

With all the luck(?) I've had over the years with Sautrn brakes and rotors -- I wonder if a complete changeout to ceramics would be more to my liking ???

 

I dunno! I have dealt with my Saturn now for about 14 years. While I have not driven the heck out of it, which is why inpart it has lasted as long as it has, I really have not had a problem with the brakes. Nor in my limited experiance with others have I been aware of any. This applys to the SC line of Saturns only. I have not personally worked on anything else.
My Eagle Summit Wagon aka Mitsubishi Expo LRV had huge enormous brakes on it and they seemed to last for ever. I put 270,000 on that before I sold it.
But all three of my Mopar Vans felt heavy when I tried to stop. I don't think there was anything wrong with the brakes, it just felt heavy and was uncomfortable. Ceramics on the Front only took care of a lot of that feeling, when I finally wore out the rear brakes (4 wheel disc) I put them there too and the feeling again was better.
Also it stopped getting the front wheels full of black brake dust. I got tired of cleaning those things up frankly.
I am satisfied with how hey work. The will get after the rotors, depending how you deal with that it could be a problem. For me, so far I will have to do more rotor maintainence than I normally do but performance and life of the brakes make it worth while for me.
Of course being a shade tree mechanic has a lot to do with keeping costs down.
I was once quoted $1000.00 to do brakes on a Fiero, the first car with 4 wheel discs I owned. $60.00 worth of parts, a $80.00 GM service manual and 4 hours in the driveway I was done.

 

Interesting comments ... As others will tell you, I've had a time with some of my Saturns going through their brakes quicker than I'd normally expect, combined with rotors that measure "under low" when planning on turning them to save a few bucks.

Yeah, the costs may not may not justify making such a swap, but sometimes, we will do things just to find a better answer. Altruistic? Maybe, and then again, maybe not ...

 

Well part of that may have been the times too. I restored a car around 1999 that became a daily driver and had nothing but problems with the front rotors warping. I came to believe that the rotors were just sub-standard material and prone to warping when heated. Of course that might be attributed to the country of order of the rotors, of which I have forgotten where it was since then.
But I agree with Altruistic as an analytical tool, been there too! Probably still go there more than I should