[MTI]

The hood pads are fairly inexpensive at the dealership, I think I paid about $60 for my 2....

The hood pads are fairly inexpensive at the dealership, I think I paid about $60 for my 2.3, but since they're so light, I imagine that you could probably get a deal online and the ground shipping would be pretty cheap.

 

[MTI]

There are some that think that the hood pad is unnecessary, but I think it's a pretty chea...

There are some that think that the hood pad is unnecessary, but I think it's a pretty cheap investment in keeping the hood and paint cooler and dampening some of the engine noise. It's also a flame retardant in case of an engine compartment fire. Installing it is best with two people and a spray can of 3M adhesive. Try to cross hatch the spray so that the smallest uncoated area is less than 3 or 4 inches square, otherwise you might get sags where there's no glue holding the pad. I found it easier to work from the back side (closest to the dash) and smooth and tuck at the grill side.