Time for a new battery, any suggestions?

My battery is dead and I need a new one. I tried charging it and it won't hold a charge. I need some suggestions, I see the optima batteries and those XS power batteries that are pretty tiny. I want something really reliable. Ideally I'd like to spend less than $200.

gracias

 

I have allways had good luck with Interstate batteries.I have them in all my cars,have used them for years.A sears die hard is also a good battery but,you have to jump through their charging system checks hoops to get one with the warrantee.They are a PITA about it too.

 

Optima is my choice, but they are not cheap.

 

same here. ive had mine since 2003 and has been in over 10 different cars/trucks. everytime i sell my vehicle i always take it out and toss in a generic battery. wouldn't take nothing for mine

 

Optima redtop,ya can get em' for like 150ish,or a yellowtop is around 200.

 

my choice also...i have killed mine stone cold dead (3) times and it charged right back up...


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Have run numerous standard lead acid batteries that fail in a limited use vehicle after a couple of years. Optima Red top is going strong in it's 5th year.

 

wow, this is the most unanymous answer. . .
thanks guys for the input . . . I was looking at the interstate batteries and the price is sweet but I am thinking I need something more resilient

 

Wal Mart & Costco sell Optima batteries around here.
Like Frank said, I've let one go stone cold dead 3 or 4 times, give it a boost and it starts right up, and charges and holds. I have them in all my work trucks, and my personal cars & trucks. Well worth the extra money. Up here in the ice and snow, nothing sucks more than a dead battery.

 

Car Craft just did a small article on a new style Optima Yellow Top. It is a much lighter version called the D51. It only weighs 26 lbs instead of 44... 18 lbs less.

The trade-off is cold cranking amps and reserve ... roughly half of the full-sized version.

But to put it all in perspective, when Mavericks were new cars and batteries were not nearly as good as they are now, even this smaller Optima would be like installing a huge truck battery back then. The electrical requirements for cars was not what it is now ... no computers, and not nearly so many options.

We used to sell batteries by "1 CCA/cubic inch" ... that was the rule of thumb.

This smaller Optima has 440 CCA and 66 minutes of reserve, and is comparable to a small Motorcraft battery that ran my 351W for years. That one was smaller and lighter than most batteries, too. But with the Optima, there are other advantages ... lower internal resistance = more amps than a standard battery.

As long as you don't have a lot of electrical add-ons to your car, it may be a very good choice. A newer high-amp alternator would also help keep it topped off.

 

...couldn't you have just said... Optima...

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No ...

Because this is a brand-new flyweight Optima that some cars with a lot of whiz-bang electronics and fuel injection may find inadequate.

It is fully half the CCAs and reserve as the yellow Optima that most folks are familiar with.

.... but most of us old-schoolers would find it being just fine.

 

Optima redtop hands down i have the same one for 6 yrs with no prob

 

Wow great thread guys & good info!

 

they have 2 yellow tops......