Would be interested to know this too. I recently bought my max and the
pads have almost no wear but my brakes squeal loudly at low speeds.
Prices for a set of front pads seem to range anywhere from $40 - $120
(top of the line Bendix) here depending on what you want.

I tried an aftermarket set once (sorry, but I can't remember which
brand) and was dismayed at the amount of dust that they produced.
Since then I have used Nissan pads without a problem.

Note: Rotors are another story.  I too have a 2000 Max and had a lot of
trouble with warped rotors until I replaced them with Brembos.

Spend the money and use OEM replacement pads, anything else will make noise

What kind of driver are you?  There are performance pads but they usually dust a
lot.  The Nissan OEMs are the best combo of stopping power, lack of noise, and
relatively little dust.  The cheaper alternatives don't perform as well,
although many have reported they like the Raybestos Quiet Stops.

<http://maxmods.dyndns.org/index.php?MaximaBrakePads>