Drivers, drivers, drivers.
I will maintain the best place to obtain the latest, up-to-date, drivers is Windows Update. All drivers available on Windows Update have passed Microsoft Validation and Testing and are the LEAST likely to be buggy and cause system hangs and crashes.
Second best place is the hardware manufacturer. I use the manufacturer for the following devices - Hardware that is not available through Windows Update, Hardware that does not function properly with the Windows Update available drivers (rare, but does happen) and Hardware which updated drivers will substantially improve performance (i.e. Video Cards).
Also, I rarely install the software that comes bundled with Manufacturers drivers. 99.9% of the functionality of the hardware driver is available natively in Windows. And, in my experience, the apps that control the driver features usually have a medium to high impact on overall system performance. (Catalyst Control Center is the PERFECT example). Notable exceptions include some Printers and new technologies.
Now, most manufacturers update drivers for two reasons. Fix bugs and update or introduce new functionalities (which usually also introduces new bugs). So, when I find a stable driver that offers sufficient performance, I tend to stick with that driver. And that driver usually happens to be the one that makes it to Windows Update.
As for Driver update programs... I think we have pretty much established they are hogwash and no respectable computer user should ever be suckered into installing, let alone paying, for one.