On my own Dart I've recently replaced a set of old stock metallic pads for a set of Hawk HPS pads and the difference is verry noticable at moderate to high speeds. Not so much at low speeds with less pedalpressure.
I also think these pads get better when warmed up a bit. The first few brake stops in the morning aren't that impressive.

The previous pads (found on a old car), while braking was OK, mainly did a good job of polishing the rotors to a mirror shine, while the HPS pads now leave a mat finish on the rotors, also telling me they're doing a better job of grabbing the rotor.