Best Battery picks for a daily driver?

Which battery out there in the open market has a good CCA and durability rating?
I'm looking for a good battery for one of my daily drivers.

Exide, Diehard, etc.

I only use Deka batteries. I get 5-7 years out of them on average. I also run them in all the equipment at work, we have 28 in service at the moment.

Our local Costco sells Interstate batteries. Interstate is a reliable brand.

My last 5 or 6 DD batts have been Costco Kirkland Signature (JC) and they've been fine, but I now longer shop there (moved) so I am about to try Walmart ...also Johnson Control batts.

Costco stopped selling Signature brand several yrs ago. Its Interstate now in Seattle area.

Thank you guys.

A observation i have seen over the years, the worst use of a battery is infrequent use. Lett me be clear, meaning if its seldom used, it will not last, ie buy a cheap a battery, if its used daily, buy a cheap battery, it will last a long time. Expensive batteries are best make to make one feel good.

Most companies have a cheaper line and a more expensive line. At least with Interstate and Decca, the cheaper ones of the same size weigh less.

Around here NAPA has the better prices and comparable warranties.

Costco used to have a Killer non-prorated warrantee but apparently that's gone now with the switch to Interstate.
Not Interstates fault--I think they realized the previous warrantee was VERY expensive for them (I used it once).

I remember back in the 90's when Interstate was THE brand, but like a lot of things, that is no longer the case.
The cheaper batts are far better than they used to be, and the greats (Interstate and the Diehards) are no longer.

And yeah...very few actual mfgers.........East Penn, Johnson Controls, Exide and I think one other make up 99 percent of the brands out there.

....and if you think about that,,,,, It means the good AND the bad batts were all made by the same people, but now the bad are better, and the good not AS good. Hmmmmmmmm. Could it be a trickle down on manufacturing technology? The batt mfgers discovered that is cheaper in the long run to use GOOD mfg methods for all their lines, cheap-to-expensive?

True for all sorts of industries.

Pretty much Advance batterys in ours.We used them a lot at the last 2 shops I was at.My son is parts pro so we also get a discount even now after I retired.Never had a problem with them.Had one Ford type in one tractor we had and it was like 12 years old whe we sold it and still started it.Rocky

I picked up a Interstate for SK Lee at my Costco, think I have 2 Kirkland’s(old Costco not sold anymore) and a interstate in my family vehicles...

I would say an AGM battery. Given the nature of the electrical systems, and how much the average hobby car sits, you'll get rid of the vented battery gas under your hood eating away at finish, wiring, etc. I run a Duralast Platinum. With the always available Advance Auto online coupons, they can be had for 160 or so, a fair bit less than an Optima or other equivalent.

The last interstate batteries I bought were junk that didn't last more then a few years.
The Costco batteries I gave up on after having to replace them every year because of dead cells.
I've had some luck with Delco batteries but last year I bought a couple batteries from a local place and a couple walmart batteries and will see how those do.

I've had good luck with Autozone's Duralast Gold lately.

Interstate used to be the battery to buy. My last one lasted 2 years and 2 months just out of the warranty. I have a friend for 20 years who runs a shop and he's going to stop carrying Interstate because too many of come back. My current 1970 Dodge an Optima. No issues approximately 4 years old. If it goes south, I will either by another Optima, which are pricey but work well. Or AutoZone with a 3-year full warranty after that is prorated.

Costco does sell INTERSTATE but in my local Costco here in VA they sell a lower grade battery and do not stock on for my 71 Challenger. I got one from the Interstate Battery WHSE ..they are usually not that far away and was cheaper if you go pick it up there. The higher grade battery for my car was all black case, not the white with greentop .

I don't know about "Best" but I've had the best "Luck" with the last three I bought were Wal-Mart middle level EverStart units.

Same here. Getting very good life out of them.

Ive been using the AGM batteries from Sams Club, had great luck with them so far.

Time for an AGM battery story....

On June 14, 2017 my truck died somewhere in Georgia in a Hardee’s parking lot is where it stopped. A whole AAA debacle that night left me frustrated and sleeping in my truck. Lucky for me I could see an Autozone, slept in my truck, woke up, ate Breakfast at Hardee’s (duh) and walked to Autozone. I bought a new alternator and two AGM batteries ($185 each). Put it all back together and drove home. Winter hits in 17/18 and if it’s below 30 degrees and my truck isn’t plugged in I have to jump it, so I start plugging it in all the time from November to March. Spring, summer and fall no issues, this winter shows up and I’m back to having to plug it in or it’s dead. So on Monday after I was late to an appointment because I had to jump it I drove to Autozone and got them replaced, not with AGM’s though I went back to lead acids. I have left my truck unplugged everyday since and can go out and fire it up anytime I want with no issue.

Long story short, AGM is not good for cold climates (in my opinion).

I agree, they do suffer some in cold climates and diesels really take their toll on them in cold weather. I’m still running lead acid in the diesel and have had great luck with the Walmart XXtream batteries in it, 8 years on my last set.

I keep mine on a battery tender if it is going to sit more than a few days. I've fired it right up and driven in single digit temps with negative single digits over night. I'd guess the tender keeps the battery warm. That said, the last lead acid I had and plugged into the tender wouldn't crank on the coldest days, unless I put a breaker bar on the damper bolt and ugged the crank a bit.

Never had a problem with the AGM batteries in my DD brand X, parked outside. It has a point less compression than the Barracuda though.

Just my experience.

AGM's are a lead acid battery. they just don't have liquid acid sloshing about like the old school removable cap flooded cells you grew up with.

Been using NAPA Legends for years,never a problem !

NAPA batteries available here are a joke. I have a relative who has them in everything and he has to put a charger on anything that sits for more than a few weeks. The cars sit inside a climate controlled shop and still go dead. Been doing this for years as he likes their warranty policy.

I have had good experience with the Walmart batteries . . . then again, when I have the cars sitting, I have the battery tender on them. Still have the original batteries in my 02 cummins, 04 crossfire, and 06 Magnum RT . . . never mind the saying "Maintenance Free" . . .if it has a removable cap, pop it off and always top up with distilled water !! Much more important in hotter climates !!! . . .

Cheers

I have not had good luck with Walmart batteries, but had excellent luck with their NC warranty replacement 3 times, the fourth will be on me.

I've been using Auto Zone for at least 20 years now and have never had any issues

Most big chain stores supplier can vary by region. Napa in northeast is East Penn (or was recently) but not in south.
Johnson Controls made batteries are in my opinion the best. That means Walmart among others.
Key thing when buying off the shelf at big store is date code. Buy the newest you can get. Usually a letter for the month and single digit for year.
With AGMs make sure your changing system does not fluctuate too much. Due to their fixed electrolyte quantity you can boil out. They do vent, they have a valve that will release with over pressure. The rating for most is not more than 14.1v to change but slightly less is better. And they don’t do well with deep discharge again due to the nature of the electrolyte.

AGM's do just fine with deep discharge, if they are designed for deep discharge usage, just like flooded cells.

Just like any battery it has to be used properly and be designed for the expected use.

That is why car starting batteries don't do as well as deep cycle batteries in deep discharge applications.

Not designed for it.

After all the industrial and commercial sized UPS' I work on use AGM batteries in deep discharge applications.

…...Me too

AAA as in AAA roadside? If so (if you don't mind me asking) what left you frustrated?

I used to work for a towing company that honored AAA and I did the battery service. A lot of interesting stuff I learned doing so. I already had a good grasp on automotive batteries but when you install 12-15 batteries on a good day you learn a heck of a lot more.

And yes I've had my share of bad service calls with lunatic customers. However I've heard horror stories about bad AAA battery installers as well.

To honor the thread topic, I've had luck with Dura-Last (gold) and bad luck with Die Hard.

By the consensus ongoing here, I guess I will be opting for the gold in them there hills, Dura-Last Gold that is.

Thank you guys for all the feed back.
Batteries not included. LOL.

Batteries are hit and miss for me. I haven`t really found one brand to be much better then the other from what I have experienced. I do remember my worst one was a Walmart battery

i have a interstate that was slightly used ,and i put it on a tender about 2 yrs ago,reckon its still any good?,i could check it ,but havent,the tender still glows green!

bet that is still fine . . .

About like anything else these days, 1 or 2 manufacturers make all the batteries, maybe not.

I work at Advance, the Autocraft Gold seem like good batteries. We get A LOT of Duralasts in that are bad, some not very old at all.

Interstate's are a good choice as well.