5 Car Batteries With The Longest Lifespan, According To Consumer Reports

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Buying a new car battery is one of those tasks that few vehicle owners tend to enjoy. That is largely due to the fact that most people aren't looking to make such a purchase unless the current power source in their car, truck, or SUV is already expired, and a dead battery is no fun for anyone. On top of that, it can be legitimately intimidating to walk into an automotive retailer and find yourself staring at a literal wall of new car battery options to choose from.

You can, of course, narrow your range of options by consulting the vehicle's owner's manual to determine the recommended parameters for the replacement battery. And once you're in-store looking at options, a certified technician or sales associate should be able to help you further narrow the field. Depending on where you shop, they may even install the new battery for you and dispose of the old one.

Circling back to your pre-purchase research, consumer advocacy sites like Consumer Reports are also a great resource in helping you figure out which products offer the best bang for your buck. If lifespan is your primary concern for a new car battery, Consumer Reports' recent list rating the best options on the market could prove a legitimately invaluable source of information. Here's a look at 5 car batteries from the market's major manufacturers that earned Consumer Reports' highest rating for lifespan while also rating well for reserve capacity, and cold weather performance. 

The list of car batteries that tested at the highest levels in all three of those categories is surprisingly short, with only four of the dozens of models tested making the proverbial grades. Scrolling through the Consumer Reports list, X2Power's Group 35 Premium AGM Battery is the first of the four you'll see. It's also the most expensive, with CR noting it sells for $350. If you're unfamiliar with the AGM designation, it means Absorbed Glass Mat, a battery design that is well-suited to modern cars with Start/Stop functionality. Those batteries are also generally believed to slightly outlast many lead-acid batteries in terms of lifespan.

The X2Power brand is the brainchild of retail chain Batteries Plus. The brand focuses largely on AGM power sources, and appears to only be available through that retail faction. If you seek it out, the Group 35 X2Power Premium AGM battery delivers 740CCA (cold cranking amps), which should suit the needs of most cars, trucks, or SUVs fit with Start/Stop functions and advanced electronic features. The battery also delivers standard cranking amps at 880, as well as solid reserve capacity numbers at 115 minutes, with 90-minutes and above generally considered good for most vehicles.

As an added bonus, the X2Power Premium AGM also earned the Green Choice designation from Consumer Reports. That means it's a good option for those looking for a battery that may reduce their overall environmental impact.

Duracell is one of those big-name battery manufacturers that virtually every consumer is acutely aware of, if only because it's one of the few major brands that has consistently been an advertising presence on television stations for the past few decades. Despite its massive market presence, we'd still wager that not every consumer knows that Duracell also makes car batteries. It does. And according to Consumer Reports, the Berkshire-Hathaway-owned brand's Platinum AGM Group 47 battery is a battery that is all but guaranteed to deliver the goods under the hood for many years after the point of purchase. 

If you're interested, Duracell's $200 Platinum AGM Group 47 Car Battery can be purchased through many automotive retailers, though we should note the label on most models we found online may differ from the one pictured by CR. Nonetheless, the battery should deliver some solid punch under the hood of cars, trucks, and SUVs it is compatible with. Per the battery's specs, that list includes those with automatic Start/Stop features, heated systems, and those with high-accessory demands.

The 60 Ah power source delivers cold cranking amps at 670 with standard cranking amps at 830, and boasts a non-spillable, vibration-reducing design that may lengthen its life and bolster performance in harsher weather. As far as its reserve capacity number, the battery delivers an impressive 100-minutes on that front, which is more than most drivers should ever need.  

The Super Start brand is sold largely through the O'Reilly Auto Parts retail chain. While it may not be as well-known as Duracell and some of the other brands on CR's list, according to Consumer Reports, it likely should be. That's particularly true for the Group 65 Platinum AGM model, which earned full green ratings in all three categories tested for the Consumer Reports ranking, with the site noting it retails for $190.

This Super Start power source comes with a 4-year limited warranty. The 12-volt, 75 Ah battery offers a notable power upgrade over the previously listed models, however, delivering standard cranking amps at 860 and cold cranking amps at 770. Per its group designation, the battery should be compatible with larger trucks, vans, and SUVs from many of the major automotive manufacturers, though it should, perhaps, be noted that O'Reilly does not list Chevrolet on its compatibility list.

Despite that fact, the AGM battery should deliver the same start-up functionality as the other AGM models that made this list. And yes, with the power upgrade, you'd be correct in assuming that the Super Start model also delivers an upgrade in the reserve capacity department, cranking that number up to a whopping 150-minutes. So, if you regularly find yourself running power in your vehicle without the engine on, it looks to be a solid option.

Odyssey is another brand that you may not be overly familiar with. But the Odyssey name is generally celebrated among those who are well-versed in the car battery market, with the brand building a solid reputation for starting power and battery life. The Consumer Reports list would seem to confirm that reputation as well-earned, with the Performance AGM model the only Group 94 battery to earn green ratings across the noted categories.

Given Odyssey's esteem in the market, it may come as a surprise that this power source isn't terribly expensive by new car battery standards. Consumer Reports claims the battery retails for $260, with the brand selling through many automotive chains, including NAPA Auto Parts and AutoZone. This particular battery is also sold through Walmart, as well as Odyssey's own online storefront, though prices through those outlets tend to be higher than the one listed by CR.

Odyssey touts itself as a brand fit for use with all manner of cars, trucks, and powersports builds. The Group 94 Performance AGM appears to fit that mold, with its specs claiming the 12V battery — designed with thinner plates to increase power and lifespan — pushes standard cranking amps at a robust 1,500 and cold cranking amps at 850. It also pushes reserve capacity to 155-minutes, and is the only other Green Choice battery that made this list.  

Reading over the Consumer Reports list, the first thing you might notice about Weize's Platinum QTF-70 Group 48 Car Battery is that it is the only battery we selected that did not score full green ratings in all three of the tested categories, failing to make the grade in cold-weather performance. It did not, however, go yellow in that category, and with Consumer Reports claiming it retails at $170, this is the cheapest battery on CR's list that earned a green rating for lifespan and one other category without going yellow in the third. This battery is also listed in Weize's Amazon store, where sales may be more frequent. Whatever the price, when it comes to car batteries, we're happy to encourage a little bargain hunting, so long as overall quality is not sacrificed.

Despite the potential cold weather deficiency, the 12V, 70 Ah AGM battery still stacks up relatively well against many of the other batteries we've selected here, with even its cold cranking number solid-enough at 760 amps. The battery — which Weize claims is suitable for cars, trucks, and high-performance vehicles, also boasts a better-than-average reserve capacity rating at 120-minutes, and is backed by a 3-year warranty. So, if you live in a location that does not endure lengthy periods of cold weather, this looks to be a great option that won't break the bank.