10 Major Car Battery Brands Ranked Worst To Best, According To Consumer Reports

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The best electric vehicles are continuing to gain popularity. However, an overwhelming majority of the cars on the road are still not electric, partly because gas vehicles are cheaper to repair. Owners should know that their car batteries are among the most important components to keep their vehicles running with good performance, but with so many car battery brands in the market and new models being released all the time, the decision on what to buy gets tougher and tougher. To help make it a bit easier, we can consult the reviews of Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports has reviewed car batteries of all sizes, ranging from Group 24 to Group 94R (H7). There are scores on life, which is the reliability and voltage retention; reserve capacity, which is how long a battery can power a vehicle on a failed charging system; and cold weather performance, which measures the reliability of cold starts. Some car battery brands have fluctuating scores across the categories, while others were excellent for all their models. If you have a lot of gadgets that use your car's USB port, or you rely on gadgets to make your car safer, a solid battery is a necessity.

To determine our ranking of major car battery brands, we calculated the average score of each brand for all its car batteries reviewed by Consumer Reports, across all sizes. We also highlighted the top-rated model for each brand, as well as comments on social networks, to paint a comprehensive picture of what to expect from each of them.

EverStart car batteries, which are distributed and sold exclusively by Walmart, are affordable options for the budget-minded vehicle owner. Unfortunately, the brand ranks last on this list after eight reviews by Consumer Reports, with only one model receiving a high score, two models with satisfactory scores, four models with middling scores, and one model with a low score.

The top-rated, and only high-scoring car battery of the brand, is the EverStart Platinum AGM H5/47. Under the Group 47 (H5) category, it received perfect scores for life and reserve capacity, and it has a warranty of 48 months and a claimed cold cranking amps (CCA) of 680A. This particular car battery has received an impressive average score on Walmart, but overall, there are mixed comments on EverStart car batteries among Redditors. Some say that there are reliability issues, so they don't last for more than a few years, and there have been some difficulties in requesting returns. Others claim that they keep running for a long time and are affordable compared to car batteries by other brands.

DieHard is a car battery brand that was formerly owned by Sears but is now controlled by Advance Auto Parts. Established in 1967, it's the most prolific brand in this ranking with a total of 17 models reviewed by Consumer Reports. Five DieHard car batteries received high scores, and five had satisfactory scores. But the brand's position is pulled down by six middling scores and one low score, dropping it into ninth place on this list.

The DieHard Platinum AGM H5-AGM in the Group 47 (H5) category is the brand's top-rated model. It receives perfect scores for life and reserve capacity, it carries a warranty of 36 months, and it has a claimed CCA of 680A. It's available from the Advance Auto Parts website, where it holds a 4.8-star rating, but the reliability of DieHard batteries is among the chief complaints of customer reviews gathered by Consumer Affairs. Some Redditors reported being refused replacements even though their battery was still under the warranty period.

Duralast, the proprietary battery line of AutoZone, only manages to get eighth place on this list despite having the highest-rated car battery in this roundup. That's because it's the most polarizing brand in Consumer Reports' reviews. Among seven models, there are three that secured high scores, one with a satisfactory score, one with a middling score, and two with low scores. It actually barely squeezed by DieHard for this spot.

The aforementioned top-scoring car battery is the Duralast Platinum AGM 47 H5-AGM. Like the two featured batteries before it, it's under Group 47 (H5), but the difference is that it tops the category after receiving perfect scores on life and reserve capacity. The battery has a 36-month warranty from AutoZone, where it holds a rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 stars, and a 680A claimed CCA. There are mixed comments on the reliability of Duralast batteries on Reddit, though the general sentiment is that Duralast Platinum batteries are worth it over the brand's other lines, such as Duralast Gold.

AAA is a roadside assistance service that provides 24/7 mobile battery replacements to its members, among other benefits. If an AAA technician determines that you need to buy a new one, you will be offered an AAA-branded car battery. However, with the brand at seventh place after five reviewed models from Consumer Reports, you may want to consider going for a brand with a higher ranking. AAA car batteries received one high score, three satisfactory scores, and one middling score.

The car battery with the highest score from the brand is the AAA Premium BAT 8435AAA, which is under the Group 35 category. It has a 36-month warranty and a 640A claimed CCA and received a perfect score on life from Consumer Reports. Some Redditors think paying extra for the convenience of AAA technicians coming to your garage is worth it, especially if you're not that knowledgeable about cars. However, you should know that you can get better value for money by going for a battery from another brand.

Napa comes in at sixth place in this ranking, following five reviews on its car batteries by Consumer Reports. With one high score and four satisfactory scores, this is an appropriate placement for the auto parts brand. In addition to selling car batteries, it also makes all kinds of replacement parts for every part of the vehicle, accessories for both the exterior and interior, and chemicals and other types of fluids, among other essentials.

The Napa The Legend Premium AGM 35 BAT983585 is the brand's car battery model that received a high score. Under the Group 35 category, it secures a perfect rating on life, and it offers a 36-month warranty and 640A of claimed CCA. While some vehicle owners on Reddit are unimpressed by Napa car batteries, one of the positives about the brand is Napa's wide network of locations, which should make it easier for you to request a replacement if the battery fails within the warranty period.

After Consumer Reports reviews on five of its car batteries, Exide claims the first spot in the top half of this ranking. Of the five, the brand has three high scores and one satisfactory score, but it could have moved higher than fifth place in this roundup if not for one low score.

The highest-rated car battery of the brand is the Exide Marathon Max AGM MX35-EX, which is under the Group 35 category. It receives perfect scores for life and reserve capacity, and it has a warranty of 48 months and a claimed CCA of 650A. There are plenty of comments on Exide car batteries on Reddit, but this is because it's a global brand. However, Exide's business in the U.S. is separate from the brand in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. There's not much to see about Exide car batteries on Reddit, though, as it seems that Redditors are always recommending another brand over it.

In fourth place is Interstate, which has the second-most number of car batteries reviewed by Consumer Reports. The brand has five high scores and seven satisfactory scores, which are more than enough to pull it up to this spot despite two middling scores and one low score. Interstate, established in 1952 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, sold its 500 millionth battery in 2021.

The Interstate MTX-47/H5 AGM, which placed third under the Group 47 (H5) category, is the brand's car battery with the highest score from Consumer Reports. It receives perfect scores for life and reserve capacity, and it has a 36-month warranty with a 650A claimed CCA. Some Redditors claim that Interstate car batteries are good enough, while others have had bad luck with their reliability. However, the consensus is that you should aim to buy your tech, including vehicle batteries, from Costco so that you can easily get a replacement if the battery dies within the warranty period.

Optima, which traces its roots to 1972 with U.S. headquarters in Wisconsin, cracks the top three of this ranking after an impressive set of reviews from Consumer Reports. Of the five car battery models of the brand, three received high scores, and two got satisfactory scores, propelling Optima to third place.

The brand's entry with the highest rating from Consumer Reports is the Optima H6, which is known for its yellow top, and is in second place among Group 48 batteries. It has perfect scores for life and cold-weather performance, a 36-month warranty, and an 800A claimed CCA that's the highest in the category. Reliability is one of the brand's strengths, with one Redditor sharing that their Optima battery lasted for nearly a decade, and it's also the car battery of choice for vehicles with a heavy-duty stereo system. However, some claim that the quality of its batteries has declined in recent years.

Duracell, a brand that's known for batteries, not just for cars, is the runner-up in this ranking. With a history that dates back to the early 1920s, it has expanded its expertise in the battery industry to vehicles, and it shows with its ratings from Consumer Reports. Among six Duracell car batteries that were reviewed, one of them received a satisfactory score, and the remaining five received high scores.

The Duracell Platinum AGM 47 (H5) placed second in the Group 47 (H5) category. It's the brand's car battery with the highest score, following perfect ratings across the board for its life, reserve capacity, and cold weather performance. It also has a 36-month warranty and a claimed CCA of 600A. However, over on Reddit, the general sentiment on Duracell car batteries remains mixed, with some users praising their reliability over several years, and others claiming that they don't last very long.

Taking first place in this ranking is Super Start, which is primarily sold at O'Reilly Auto Parts. The brand's car batteries are the epitome of quality and consistency, based on their Consumer Reports ratings. Out of nine models that were reviewed, two received satisfactory scores, and the remaining seven all got high scores. 

The Super Start Platinum AGM 65PLT is the brand's car battery with the highest score from Consumer Reports, and it's at the top of the Group 65 category. It is rated perfectly for life, reserve capacity, and cold weather performance. It carries a warranty of 36 months, and it has a claimed CCA of 750A. Redditors mostly love Super Start car batteries for their reliability, but there are still a few people who have had bad experiences with the brand.

For our rankings of these major car battery brands, we gathered all of Consumer Reports' reviews on car batteries across all sizes and grouped them per brand. Scores of 81 to 100 are considered high scores, 61 to 80 are satisfactory scores, 41 to 60 are middling scores, and 40 and below are low scores.

We calculated each car battery brand's average score and determined the positions on this list according to the result. We also only considered those with at least five models that were reviewed by Consumer Reports, to quality them as a major brand.

For each car battery brand, we highlighted their highest-rated model, according to Consumer Reports, to showcase their potential. We combined these with comments on social media for insight into what vehicle owners think of them. We want you to be able to select the brand that won't require you to use the battery booster that should be part of the emergency gadgets in your car.