Which Car Batteries Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 6 car batteries options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video. Shoppers cross-shopping auto battery, automotive battery, car batteries and lead acid batteries land here for the head to head that settles it.
EverStart
Price shown in test: $119.76
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Cranking amps at 75F | 42 to 44 amp, 30 minute load test, then rested overnight | 1 hour charge rate test at 10 amps | Cold cranking amps at 0F (24 hours in freezer) | Cold cranking amps at negative 20F (second 24 hours in freezer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1EverStart$119.76 | 12.88 V, 1,115 cranking amps, internal resistance 3.48 milliohms | survived the load test; next day reading of 12.59 V and 999 cranking amps, described as fully charged since it is above the 12.6 V threshold | started at 12.59 V, rose to 12.83 V, a 0.24 V increase, the smallest increase of the six though it started closer to fully charged than most | rated for 810, produced 766, the best raw output of all six batteries and the smallest shortfall below its own rating | produced 708, internal resistance 4.45 milliohms, tied with Duralast for the best output at this temperature and also the smallest shortfall below rating |
| 2Optima RedTop$224.99 | 12.84 V, 1,125 cranking amps, internal resistance 2.76 milliohms, confirming the AGM claim of lower internal resistance than flooded lead acid at this stage | survived the load test; next day reading of only 12.26 V and 964 cranking amps, the weakest overnight recovery of all six, described as definitely needing to be recharged | started at 12.26 V, rose to 12.72 V, a 0.46 V increase, the second fastest of the six | rated for 800, produced 751, second best of all six behind EverStart | produced 629, but had the best internal resistance of all six at this extreme cold stage at 4.16 milliohms |
| 3DieHard Advanced Gold | 13.04 V, 1,148 cranking amps, the highest cranking amps and the lowest internal resistance of all six at 2.69 milliohms | survived the load test; started at the highest voltage of the six at 13.1 V and dropped to 12.49 V and 1,032 cranking amps overnight | started at 12.49 V, rose to 13.01 V, a 0.52 V increase, the fastest charging of all six batteries tested | rated for 775, produced only 697, the worst raw output of all six at this stage | only 580, described as really struggling, the worst of all six at this extreme cold stage, internal resistance 4.5 milliohms |
| 4SuperStart Premium$139.99 | 12.78 V, 1,133 cranking amps, internal resistance 3.42 milliohms, the best of the four flooded lead acid batteries | survived the load test; next day reading of 12.47 V and 1,044 cranking amps, described as still having a strong enough charge to start a car | started at 12.47 V, rose to 12.78 V, a 0.31 V increase | rated for 840, the highest CCA rating of the four flooded batteries, but produced only 745, a bigger shortfall below its own rating than EverStart or Duralast | produced 683, internal resistance 4.6 milliohms, the worst internal resistance at this stage though not far behind the leaders on raw output |
| 5Duralast Gold$159.99 | 12.8 V, 1,022 cranking amps, internal resistance 3.84 milliohms, worse than the cheaper EverStart's 3.48 | survived the load test; next day reading of 12.53 V and 919 cranking amps, described as not doing quite as well as the EverStart | started at 12.53 V, rose to 12.81 V, a 0.28 V increase | rated for 810, produced 753 | produced 708, tied with EverStart for the best output at this temperature, internal resistance 4.45 milliohms, identical to EverStart |
| 6AutoCraft Silver$139.99 | 12.78 V, 1,083 cranking amps, internal resistance 3.6 milliohms, good but not as good as the SuperStart | survived the load test; next day reading of only 12.34 V and 920 cranking amps, below the 12.4 V threshold and described as definitely needing to be recharged, the weakest recovery of the four flooded batteries | started at 12.34 V, rose to 12.72 V, a 0.38 V increase | rated for 800, produced 725 | produced only 651, internal resistance 4.82 milliohms, the worst internal resistance of the four flooded batteries at this stage |
How it was tested
- cranking amps and internal resistance at 75F
- 42 to 44 amp load for 30 minutes, then voltage and cranking amps measured after resting overnight
- 1 hour charge rate test at a 10 amp charger setting
- cold cranking amps after 24 hours in a freezer at approximately 0F
- cold cranking amps after a second 24 hours in a freezer at approximately negative 20F
“If your vehicle uses a flooded lead-acid battery like the first four batteries we tested, I would continue using a flooded lead-acid battery and would buy either a Costco Interstate battery or the Walmart EverStart if their prices are the least expensive.”
Data notes and caveats
Six car batteries tested: four flooded lead acid (EverStart, Duralast, SuperStart, AutoCraft, all group size 27) and two absorbed glass mat or AGM batteries (Optima, DieHard, both group size 3478). The video ends with per category recommendations rather than one single overall winner: EverStart (the cheapest battery tested) for anyone buying a flooded lead acid battery, since it matched or beat the pricier Johnson Controls made Duralast and AutoCraft across nearly every test; Optima for AGM buyers in climates that get below freezing, since it had the best internal resistance and second best output in the extreme cold test; and DieHard for AGM buyers in climates that do not get below freezing, since it had the best room temperature performance and fastest charging but the worst cold cranking amp results of all six. Because this is an explicit per use case split rather than one crowned winner, winner is left null and the three segment recommendations are preserved here and in each battery's own notes. No price is ever stated in the transcript for the DieHard battery. The narrator also references, without testing, a Costco Interstate battery (also made by Johnson Controls, recommended as an EverStart alternative) and a NAPA battery (made by East Penn Manufacturing like the SuperStart, but pricier with a lower CCA rating).