[superbird6bbl]

My "new" 2011 IE Challenger needs a new battery. Recommendations anyone?

 

[Danno66]

Only that you get what you pay for. Costco is a good, inexpensive option with a good warranty, but I haven't had great luck with them lasting long.

Jus sayin...

 

[HemiMetal]

Poll: what car battery would you get?

The majority of all car batteries sold in the US are manufactured by 3 companies - Delphi, Exide and Johnson Controls Industries. Delphi makes some EverStart models sold in Walmart and ACDelco. Johnson Control Industries makes Duralast seen in Autozone stores, Diehard - sold in Sears, Kirkland - the Costco brand, Motorcraft - which Ford sells, some of the EverStarts, and Interstate. Exide makes Exide batteries, Champion, Napa and even a % of the EverStart batteries. (wiki answers)

That said...

The 7 best car batteries you can buy:

Car batteries are not all the same. When when looking to buy a car battery you want to make sure you have the correct group size and the correct cold cranking amps for the area you live in. If you do not have enough amps, then your car will not start in the winter. The moment you notice your battery is starting to get weak, have it tested and then start shopping for a new one. Don't wait until you are stranded with a dead battery. There are 3 main companies that produce a range of batteries. Find the best for your car and make sure you always have power.

NAPA: NAPA batteries are made by East Penn Manufacturing and these are good batteries for the price. There are many different types of batteries available from NAPA and they have excellent ratings. While they are designed to work even in cold temperatures, it can take a little while for the engine to turnover in severely cold temperatures.

DieHard: DieHard batteries are top of the line. They were originally the longest lasting car battery as they lasted longer than your car. Cars last longer today than when the battery was first produced, but it still offers some of the best performance, even in bitterly cold weather. Be aware that DieHard batteries are expensive and not considered a budget or affordable battery. However considering they last so long, you will easily get your money's worth.

Need Help Deciding? Click Here for Car Battery Reviews

Kirkland Signature: This range of car batteries is perhaps one of the most affordable batteries. You sacrifice nothing with this battery, as it has excellent cold amp rankings and great performance. The battery is offered through Costco and the specs match Optima batteries. This is one of your best choices, as the performance and quality is that of a high performance battery, but the price is much less.

Autocraft: Autocraft batteries are good but these are not recommended for areas with harsh winters, as they tend to do best in warmer climates. These batteries are long lasting and were designed to minimize corrosion. There is no resistance and has less warping and shorting due to its siding.

Optima: Optima batteries are one of the most expensive of the brands available, but you cannot find better performance rankings. This company mainly produces spiral wound cell batteries and gets some of the best reviews found online and from car part retailers.

EverStart: EverStart batteries fit into the budget or affordable car battery category. However, the performance is excellent and you get the most for the low car battery price. This is a smaller battery, but performs well in all weathers. It is completely maintenance free. It is only available at Walmart, but don't let this put you off as it is an excellent car battery.

AC Delco: This battery is a leading brand and perfect for those that need a battery, but are on a very tight budget. The warranties offered are excellent, as they completely believe in their product. To make it out of the warehouse, the batteries must meet many tests which allow for high quality batteries. These batteries are frequently used by car manufacturers.

carsdirect.com

 

[Sweden]

Nice, John. I dont think i ever seen such a complete answer to a question :smileup:

 

[superbird6bbl]

Poll: what car battery would you get?

Thanks John, I have always had good luck with Diehards but wanted some other opinions. PJ

 

[superbird6bbl]

Thanks Dan, considering what I had to pay for the car, the cost of any battery is trivial. PJ

 

[boyohboy]

I only ever once looked in my trunk at the spare to see if it was a full size one like I wanted. I didn't look at the battery but my build sheet just says 730 Amp Maintenance Free. So I expect to be changing it out maybe this calendar year. I have maintained it with a tender each season that I put my car into storage so maybe it could last longer. I plan on getting whatever brand-name is on the battery that would have been supplied at the factory because some car shows look at what was original or period correct for the car when judging. Enjoy the Journey! Lou.

 

[Home Theater Guy]

Any time I have a battery go bad I replace it with an Optima. Optima batteries are in Made in the USA (Denver, CO). They cost more, but hold their charge, especially in the cold.

 

[Trimec T56]

I have an Interstate Battery in my other car (a pontiac) that has given me excellent trouble free service for the past 6+ years... It sat in that vehicle in storage through the last several harsh chicago winters without any type of charging devices hooked to it, it held its charge and would always start the car..presently it sits outside with the same results..to me that is very very impressive for a mear run of the mill battery..I work in the automotive field and whenever I would see a Interstate Battery in a customers car I would say to myself man that's an ugly battery, it must be a cheapo..boy was I wrong...2 cents story

 

[jkelly16]

Any time I have a battery go bad I replace it with an Optima. Optima batteries are in Made in the USA (Denver, CO). They cost more, but hold their charge, especially in the cold.

They don't make one specifically for our cars though you may be able to find one that fits.

 

[23674/]

Optima batteries have been outsourced to Mexico for the past few years, and have been plagued with quality control issues since. Don't take my word for it, go on any Jeep forum. I had one last a whopping three years in my Jeep, before a cell went bad. I do swear by AGM batteries and I believe NAPA sells one that fits the Challenger for around $200.

 

[bad8nti]

OEM battery is a Group H7. The OEM rating for CCA is 730. Advance Auto's Gold Battery is 790. The Platinum AGM is 850 CCA. These are manufactured by Johnson Controls.

 

[TikiMan]

I'm at the 5 year mark and although I've had no issues with my battery I decided to replace it with a fresh one. The heat in FL is brutal and I'm surprised I got this much time out of it. Replaced it with a

Autocraft Platinum AGM battery. Group size H7 and 850 CCA

Part number: H7-AGM

Found an old promo code HUGE50 which took $50 off the battery. Ended up paying $169.01

Has the handle and vent tube. 3 year free replacement. Not a bad score IMO.

 

[Home Theater Guy]

My other two vehicles have Optima batteries and as Hemimetal stated, they are expensive and reliable. One odd note though, because they are rounded, the installation can look a little bit off.

 

[TJGS]

Just bought a DieHard Gold for $118.00 at Meijers. It is rated at 765 CCA with a 3 year replacement warrenty. It works for me ! My stock battery has been leaking acid from the negative post and the post was tight. It was going on 6 years old and time for a new one.

 

[wvhemis]

I don't know if it is the battery in the trunk deal but our 2008 Charger still had the OEM battery when we traded it in 6 years later... pretty good IMO