Best Car Batteries for the Money Rated by Consumer Reports

According to a recent Consumer Reports newsletter there is a broad range of prices when it comes to buying a new battery for your car. In fact, among those recently tested by CR analysts the average price was $170 with the highest reaching more than $350.

However, in many cases you might not need to pay those higher prices for your car. And rather than becoming too focused on pricing, it can payoff to look a little deeper into a battery’s value by focusing more on what kind of performance you are going to get for your hard-earned dollar.

 “The best value may be in choosing a strong performer that can be had for much less than the cost of the top battery,” says John Galeotafiore, who oversees the testing of car batteries at Consumer Reports.

Other Considerations to Think About

But choosing the best price and performance is only part of the equation toward your decision making. You also have to decide whether you can (or want to) DIY or whether it makes more sense to let a qualified mechanic or trained technician do the battery replacement for you.

Depending on the make, model and year of your car, it could be more involved than simply popping open the hood and loosening the battery terminal bolts before lifting the old battery out. Many models have their batteries installed in hard to access areas that require some removal of parts before installation that may be dangerous to handle---especially with Hybrid cars.

Relates article: Toyota Hybrid Owner Experience with an Aftermarket Hybrid Battery

Furthermore, with a battery replacement, your vehicle may require reprogramming of systems that are dependent on a constant source of power at all times. To find out whether this applies to your vehicle you will need to consult your vehicle owner’s manual or ask a trusted mechanic.

At the very least, you need to know the Group Type of your vehicle’s battery due to the physical size, placement of the terminals (side or top), and mounting style that typically varies with each model.

Related article: Never Buy This Battery Type for Your Car

You can find out the Group Type by:

• Checking your owner’s manual.

• Go online and take advantage of battery company websites that have search engines to help you select the correct battery.

• Visit an auto parts store where you will often find in-store guides in the battery department and/or ask the clerk to look it up for you. In fact, often they will offer free installation of most of the batteries they sell, saving you the hassle of doing it yourself or adding to the cost of a battery by having to hire someone else to install it.

• If you have one, ask your local mechanic for his recommendation.

• If you are the original owner of your vehicle, you could check the labeling on the original battery. Used car buyers need to be aware that ofttimes sellers will install a cheaper lower amp battery before selling a car and therefore it might not be the correct one rated for your car.

Understanding Cranking Amp and Cold Cranking Amps

Here’s an informative video from the MotorWeek YouTube channel that helps explain what you need to know in selecting a battery for your car when it comes to understanding cranking amp and cold cranking amps.

CR Recommended Batteries

To help consumers match their battery group type with their vehicle, CR analysts categorized the groups with a potential listing of models along with their recommended best performing for the price of each battery within their group with each battery rated according to their:

• Overall Score
• CCA, or cold-cranking amps: How well the battery starts an engine during extreme cold weather.
• Life: How the battery performs through repeated draining and recharging.
• Reserve capacity: How long it can supply energy if the car’s charging system fails.

A summary of the listing is provided below:

Car Battery Groups

Size 24 and 24F: Fits many Acura, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles.
• Recommended battery: EverStart MAXX-24FN (North) Car battery
• Price: $90

Size 35: Fits most Japanese nameplates, including many recent Honda vehicles, most Subaru vehicles, and most Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles.
• Recommended battery: EverStart MAXX-35N (North)

• Price: $90

Size 47 (H5): Fits many Buick, Chevrolet, Fiat, and Volkswagen models.
• Recommended battery: Interstate Mega-Tron II MT47H5

• Price: $135

Size 48 (H6): Fits many vehicles from Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
• Recommended battery: Exide Marathon Max AGM MXH6L348 [FPAGML348]

• Price: $180

Size 49 (H8): Fits many vehicles from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz.
• Recommended battery: ACDelco 49 AGM

• Price: $186-$189

Size 51R: Fits many vehicles from Honda and Nissan.
• Recommended battery: Duracell 51R
• Price: $105

Size 65: Fits large cars, trucks, and sport-utility vehicles from Ford and Mercury.
• Recommended battery: ACDelco Professional Gold 65PG

• Price: $125

For a more detailed breakdown of each battery chosen as well as alternative choices, please visit the Consumer Reports website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

And finally…

For additional articles related to batteries, here is an informative one for DIY types titled “Car Battery Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement with This Ultimate Guide.”

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

COMING UP NEXT: The Truth About Owning a Prius and Its Battery

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