Probably a dumb question about batteries...
 

My battery has been acting up lately I want to replace it. My question is, does brand matter? I want to buy the best battery I can for my car but I don't know if the brand or type of battery affects performance, battery life, or even if some batteries can hold more power than others. What battery do you guys recommend or does it not matter and I can just buy whatever?

Thanks for any help! And I apologize if this has been discussed before.

To be honest, it "really" doesn't matter. However I personally would buy a brand that has a good reputation for long lasting batteries. Another thing to take into consideration is the warranty on the battery.

I went to Sears and bought their Gold battery I think. Last year I was installing my side skirts and left my radio on with my sub booming and my battery died. I jumped it and although it took a while to get it charged up enough to start the car I haven't had a problem with the battery since.

"Buy it nice, or buy it twice" is the motto I go by and it's always treated my right.

Hope this helps.

~Chad

Yeah Chad that helped, thanks bud. If anyone else has input please add to that.

Make sure you get a maintenance free battery. With the battery under a cover, it's easy to neglect it. Also make sure that you get one that's physically the right size. There's a long tradition of replacing OEM batteries with the biggest that will fit. Usually not a bad idea, but on the RX-8 that can block air flow around the battery. There's a TSB caustioning about maintaining the right clearance.

Be prepared for fans of designer batteries to chime in, recommending expensive alternatives. :)


Ken

From Consumer Reports website:

Bosch Premium Power 35-640B
Type: Group 35
Price as tested: $90
Overall score: 82 out of 100 (82 is the highest rating of any battery tested. 61 is the lowest)

The Premium Power 35-640B is part of the car battery test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, car battery models like the Premium Power 35-640B are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Life: VERY GOOD
Life test measures how a battery endures repeated charge-and-discharge cycles at hot-climate engine-compartment temperatures. The more cycles endured while maintaining a higher voltage, the higher the score.

Reserve capacity: EXCELLENT
Reserve capacity estimates how long batteries can run a car if the charging system fails.

CCA: EXCELLENT
CCA performance reflects voltage at our load of half the average claimed CCA for each group size after cranking for 15 seconds at 0º F. We charged batteries at the 14.5 volts that vehicles typically supply, rather than the higher voltage that manufacturers use. Batteries charged at the lower voltage met BCI voltage standards for a fully charged battery.


Available at Pep Boys. I got one, no problems.

the higher the cca the better the battery is generally