Duralast, Autocraft, Diehard Batteries

[Bgallagher]

Hey everybody. For the past few days I have been noticing that my car is starting harder and harder. With a 7 year old original battery I am not suprised. The only options I have close by are chain store batteries.

I was wondering what the BITOGers opinions are between the Duralast, Autocraft or Die Hard and which one I should go for. I will be replacing my battery after work tonight. Thanks everybody!

 

[Errtt]

Which one you get, me, I'd be sure it's something like made by Johnson Controls.
If you have a Costco, they have decent priced batteries.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I've had three Autocrafts personally and two in my in-laws cars, and all have been trouble-free. I plan on putting another in the wife's car in the spring.

 

[cutter]

I think duralast and autocraft are the same. Same specs across the product line.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Duralast Gold from Autozone. Best battery I have ever used here in the Florida heat and humidity. Duralast Gold should also stand up to Boston's freezing cold temperatures just as well as they do in the heat.

 

[scurvy]

Buy the best value battery: easiest to get, lowest price & longest warranty. It's a Pep Girls Bosch for my Golf and will be a Costco battery for the 5 when it needs one.

Costco doesn't carry a group 94R battery for my Golf, or it would have one. They used to carry a group 48 battery that fit in our traded-in New Beetle TDI... gave me all of my money back when I tried to exchange it as they stopped carrying that size.

I also always write the purchase date on the battery with a paint marker, scan my receipt & email myself the PDF so I can find it easily when the time comes for a replacement.

 

[SrDriver]

The Wal-Mart Battery gets good reviews - Warranty is a plus with the many locations of their stores too.

Don't know who makes them but there is only a few factories now that make all the various brands.

 

[JHZR2]

Id initially say walmart because they are all over and have fresh stock. But I havent been too impressed with thier batteries.

Id say autocraft silver with a coupon.

 

[Billbert]

Originally Posted By: SrDriver
The Wal-Mart Battery gets good reviews - Warranty is a plus with the many locations of their stores too.


Except WM doesnt have any pro rated warranty period. AZ, Advance, & PB does.

 

[stephen9666]

Advance Auto with online discount code will probably be your best price. The last one I bought about 5 months ago was a Johnson Controls made battery for my Sonata.

 

[tomcat27]

I believe that the Autozone, Advance, and (many) Sears batteries are all made by Johnson Controls. Sears does have a platinum line which are AGM batteries and have a 10 year life, but cost $200+. my last two batteries came from Sam's Club and are made by Penn Mfg.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Id initially say walmart because they are all over and have fresh stock. But I havent been too impressed with thier batteries.

Especially if it is a (N)Everstart; their MC batteries are worthless and with no prorated period, they became core trade-ins for Duralast batteries in my case.

 

[skellyman]

I've had good luck with Autozones Duralast in my Diesel.

 

[Cutehumor]

I have good luck with autozone duralast batteries, just the plain ones not the gold. terrible luck with neverstart from walmart. ask the critic on neverstart batteries from walmart.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Autocraft and Duralast are exactly the same battery. Don't know about Sears.

 

[GMBoy]

I've had decent luck with the Autozone Gold. Had one go bad after 3 years, but with the Texas heat that is pretty much the norm down here.

 

[JOD]

The battery I just got from Autozone was a Johnson Controls. The Exide battery I got from O'Reilly's was total garbage. They would have given me the prorated warranty on it, but I'd have just gotten another lousy battery.

Thing is, I don't know if battery manufacturer is a regional thing or not. The Duralast batteries in my area are JC, so I'm hoping it will fare better than my prior battery. I now believe much of what I've read on the interwebs (after the fact) that Exide batteries aren't that great. Mine didn't make it 3 years.

 

[Burny]

Duralast gold is the best I have used and I have used a lot of them that are out there

 

[Jimmy9190]

This is my third summer with the Duralast Gold in my truck. I work at home so my truck often sits for 4 and 5 days without being driven. Truck always fires right on up with just a blip of the ignition key, each and every time. Duralast Gold is an excellent battery. I can not say the same for the Autocraft SIlver I had before it. The Autocraft barely lasted two years. I put a Duralast Gold in my wife's Honda during the same week that I installed my own battery. Wife's car always starts right up too.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
Sears does have a platinum line which are AGM batteries and have a 10 year life, but cost $200+.


^^^THIS is what I would suggest (and what I'm getting next), but I know that most on here would NOT pay this premium for a battery, no matter how great, leakproof, or long-lived.