10 Major Car Battery Brands Ranked Worst To Best (not my list)

[r2m]

Saw this short article was wondering what you all think about this list.
They have Optima, but I don't see Odyssey batteries, which I though was interesting.
Anyone care to append this list with what they think is either worst or best??

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

With so many different brands of vehicle batteries available these days, it can be tough to decide what to buy. Our brand ranking is here to help.

www.bgr.com

 

[GrizzlyClint]

Saw this short article was wondering what you all think about this list.
They have Optima, but I don't see Odyssey batteries, which I though was interesting.
Anyone care to append this list with what they think is either worst or best??

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

With so many different brands of vehicle batteries available these days, it can be tough to decide what to buy. Our brand ranking is here to help.

www.bgr.com

While I'm not a fan of consumer reports I do think this particular ranking is pretty good. I can confirm my Super Start Extreme battery from O'Reilly's works really well. It's got an insane number of cold cranking amps. I can also say Duracell does make some really good car batteries. Panasonic too but good luck getting one from Japan. If you can still even get one that's still made in Japan.

 

[bryanle96]

I've been debating between duracell agm and x2 power agm (both stocked by batteries plus) to replace my current battery when it dies. This may push me towards duracell to save me some coin.

 

[WTITW]

In AZ the difference between a crap battery and a great one is about a week. They all die every 18months like clockwork.

How is that lithium working out @r2m ?

 

[r2m]

In AZ the difference between a crap battery and a great one is about a week. They all fie every 18months like clockwork.

How is that lithium working out @r2m ?

So far, good. The only real test so far was when we were in South Lake Tahoe for a few weeks in their cold. Albeit, Tahoe cold is pretty wimpy compared to our friends in the northern states. But it still got down into the teens with my rig being outside the entire time. Even after sitting for several days, in that weather, it started right up!
But...
I haven't gone camping or over night yet to see how it does with our fridge, charging phones, etc, nor have we had any hot weather yet. And again, our hot weather isn't like yours Jake, the heat is something that I've never been too concerned with.
This spring (April or May??), wife and I are doing a road trip up Highway 49 through all the old 49'er gold mine towns, to northern California and visit some family. May have a chance to do some camping then.

 

[BigSwede]

Nice that the Duracell I just installed came in #2... we'll see.

 

[orangerock]

I've been debating between duracell agm and x2 power agm (both stocked by batteries plus) to replace my current battery when it dies. This may push me towards duracell to save me some coin.

Just bought my second X2 battery after 6 years on my last one that went from my Tacoma to GX460.

That was also only because after replacing alternator the Lexus dealer told me my battery was the cause of my head unit cutting out... and it's still cutting out. I used it as a starter and house battery for fridge for years with no issue at all and bet it still had plenty of life.

 

[r2m]

Just bought my second X2 battery after 6 years on my last one that went from my Tacoma to GX460.

That was also only because after replacing alternator the Lexus dealer told me my battery was the cause of my head unit cutting out... and it's still cutting out. I used it as a starter and house battery for fridge for years with no issue at all and bet it still had plenty of life.

Can you expand on your issues with your head unit?
For clarification, I have a 2013 Premium (Mark Levinson) model, which means I have the Nav screen. Now the problem, ever since I installed my LiPo lithium battery (or at least sometime just before or after the install) just before Christmas (2025), my head unit will sometimes freeze.

Example: driving down the highway just fine listening to Spotify streaming from my phones Bluetooth to the head unit, it will for no reason, at random times just freeze. None of the steering wheel buttons for volume, mode, etc. work on the head unit, nor will the physical round volume button work, but, and this is weird, the running timer clock for how long the song is running in the upper right of the screen, keeps on counting. It will keep counting till I turn off the car. I can switch screens, e.g. maps, climate, etc, but the audio, including making phone calls is frozen. Even pushing the button
The only way to fix it is to turn off and restart the car, not necessarily starting the engine, but at least the ACC mode.
I can go days on short drives and never have it happen. Driving to Tahoe just after the holidays, an 8 hour drive, nope, never froze on us.
Then I'll be on a half hour drive and it's freeze 10 minutes into the drive. No rhyme or reason, nor any method to make it repeatable.

I have an OBDIILink dongle and the OBDLink app on my phone and have done codes and clear codes several times, but it will still randomly freeze.
Is this similar to what you have happen??

 

[thescreensavers]

There are only 3 major battery manufacturers. There are a lot of the same batteries listed on that list lol

 

[r2m]

There are only 3 major battery manufacturers. There are a lot of the same batteries listed on that list lol

And they are???
Do you know who these relabeled batteries are?

 

[thescreensavers]

And they are???
Do you know who these relabeled batteries are?

I asked AI,

Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls) – The dominant U.S. auto battery maker for many years. Produces batteries for:
DieHard
EverStart (Walmart; primary or shared)
Duralast (AutoZone; flooded/lead-acid versions)
Interstate
Optima
NAPA (flooded versions)

East Penn Manufacturing (Deka) – Major U.S. producer, especially strong in AGM and premium lines. Produces batteries for:
AAA
Duracell (automotive line)
Super Start (O’Reilly)
Duralast (AGM versions)
NAPA (AGM versions)
EverStart (some models/shared)

Exide Technologies – Makes its own branded batteries (the only one in this list that is largely self-manufactured under its own name).

 

[r2m]

I asked AI,

Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls) – The dominant U.S. auto battery maker for many years. Produces batteries for:
DieHard
EverStart (Walmart; primary or shared)
Duralast (AutoZone; flooded/lead-acid versions)
Interstate
Optima
NAPA (flooded versions)

East Penn Manufacturing (Deka) – Major U.S. producer, especially strong in AGM and premium lines. Produces batteries for:
AAA
Duracell (automotive line)
Super Start (O’Reilly)
Duralast (AGM versions)
NAPA (AGM versions)
EverStart (some models/shared)

Exide Technologies – Makes its own branded batteries (the only one in this list that is largely self-manufactured under its own name).

Gotta love AI! Thanks!

 

[GrizzlyClint]

If so many batteries are made by just a few companies then why is there a disparity on battery quality then? Are they purposely making some battery lines worse than others by putting in crappier components?

 

[orangerock]

Can you expand on your issues with your head unit?
For clarification, I have a 2013 Premium (Mark Levinson) model, which means I have the Nav screen. Now the problem, ever since I installed my LiPo lithium battery (or at least sometime just before or after the install) just before Christmas (2025), my head unit will sometimes freeze.

Example: driving down the highway just fine listening to Spotify streaming from my phones Bluetooth to the head unit, it will for no reason, at random times just freeze. None of the steering wheel buttons for volume, mode, etc. work on the head unit, nor will the physical round volume button work, but, and this is weird, the running timer clock for how long the song is running in the upper right of the screen, keeps on counting. It will keep counting till I turn off the car. I can switch screens, e.g. maps, climate, etc, but the audio, including making phone calls is frozen. Even pushing the button
The only way to fix it is to turn off and restart the car, not necessarily starting the engine, but at least the ACC mode.
I can go days on short drives and never have it happen. Driving to Tahoe just after the holidays, an 8 hour drive, nope, never froze on us.
Then I'll be on a half hour drive and it's freeze 10 minutes into the drive. No rhyme or reason, nor any method to make it repeatable.

I have an OBDIILink dongle and the OBDLink app on my phone and have done codes and clear codes several times, but it will still randomly freeze.
Is this similar to what you have happen??

My unit / screen just goes black randomly. Before I replaced my alternator it was doing it 1 out of every 3-4 trips and had to turn the car on / off to work again. Since doing the alternator about 10 months ago it probably happens once a month now so it's manageable.

 

[r2m]

My unit / screen just goes black randomly. Before I replaced my alternator it was doing it 1 out of every 3-4 trips and had to turn the car on / off to work again. Since doing the alternator about 10 months ago it probably happens once a month now so it's manageable.

Several years ago I swapped out my alternator for a 240 amp from Tucson Alternator (High Output Alternators | Tucson Alternator - https://www.tucsonalternator.com/high-output-alternator/ADS/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1532020538&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgr_NBhDFARIsAHiUWr6eAZENIa-mYarNv7bHMthMYg6V0AaEYvAq-sWIMvtYJHVdLR0oe3YaApa4EALw_wcB) and never had an issue with a new/different alternator.
Regarding the screen going black (or turning off?) that too, have never had an issue. My problem is the screen/controls just freeze and music stops, but with the song counter continuing to count. The phone controls don't work either. If I get a call when this happens, it goes back to my phone's speaker phone.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

I have a 9 year old basic Super Start in my seasonal Hawaii work truck and don't plan on preemptively replacing it. Instead, will wait for it to die. Yes, I do leave it on a trickle charge when gone from the island.

 

[Rednexus]

If so many batteries are made by just a few companies then why is there a disparity on battery quality then? Are they purposely making some battery lines worse than others by putting in crappier components?

I don't think there is a quality disparity. I've had good and bad luck with multiple brands. Battery "quality" is really driven by the vehicle's charging system, how it is driven, climate, etc. It would take a multi-year, long-term test under controlled conditions to isolate out all of those variables. A battery sitting in a garage-kept vehicle with a tip-top charging system in a mild climate will live much longer than a one that's in a outdoor-parked, seldom-driven vehicle with a crappy charging system in Alaska or Arizona.

FYI - the AI-generated list missed Enersys, who makes the Odyssey batteries. Many of them are made here in Missouri . I've had numerous cheap EverStart batteries from Wal-Mart go 5-6 years. I splurged on an Odyssey AGM last time, but that's only because I wanted the reserve/deep-cycle capacity of an AGM over a flooded lead-acid.

 

[r2m]

I don't think there is a quality disparity. I've had good and bad luck with multiple brands. Battery "quality" is really driven by the vehicle's charging system, how it is driven, climate, etc. It would take a multi-year, long-term test under controlled conditions to isolate out all of those variables. A battery sitting in a garage-kept vehicle with a tip-top charging system in a mild climate will live much longer than a one that's in a outdoor-parked, seldom-driven vehicle with a crappy charging system in Alaska or Arizona.

FYI - the AI-generated list missed Enersys, who makes the Odyssey batteries. Many of them are made here in Missouri . I've had numerous cheap EverStart batteries from Wal-Mart go 5-6 years. I splurged on an Odyssey AGM last time, but that's only because I wanted the reserve/deep-cycle capacity of an AGM over a flooded lead-acid.

I guess I'm kind of in the middle of your two scenarios. I live in a mild climate, but my rig is outside 24/7 and I hardly drive it, maybe every couple of days. A tank of gas will last me weeks (thank heaven considering CA's gas prices...).

 

[backcountryjeff]

If so many batteries are made by just a few companies then why is there a disparity on battery quality then? Are they purposely making some battery lines worse than others by putting in crappier components?

The brands set specifications, quality controls, pricing, distribution, and volume.

For example KYB makes the OEM suspension for my '13 GX 460 and they sell their own, KYB branded suspension. Difference is in valving and I'm sure a list of other things, in addition to a weird one where Toyota/Lexus wanted to ship the suspension compressed to take up less room in the containers so the OEM shocks have a 1/4 turn twist to release before install.

I would wager that brands do the same for batteries.