Optima 8020-164-FFP RedTop Group 35 Starting Battery

My previous battery was Interstate "Premium" model, 800 cca. The warranty was 80 months. But it became much less power-holding in less 30 months. This was totally out of my expectation for a battery cost about $140. If I turned on the radio, engine off, for 20 minutes, then the battery became too weak to start engine. When it was brand new, the engine starting took about just 1 second. But as it took a little bit longer and longer to start engine as it got older and older. I could tell this battery was getting weaker. I would say the quality of Interstate was below the average of this price range of batteries.I have been using this Optima battery for 2 months. So far, it feels stable at engine starting, more consistent. But it is smaller than expected. So I need to use the plastic base, came with the battery packaging, to make it tall enough to fix the position. My car is Lexus RX330.

Purchased this battery as a replacement for my 1991 Toyota MR2 after looking locally for a quality battery and instead finding all of your store brands from autozone, orielly's, pepboys, nappa, and even Walmart were selling for the same price as an optima from amazon and this ame battery locally costing more than $60 more was a no brainer to buy from amazon. When I received my new battery instantly noticed the quality of the box it was shipped in supper heavyweight an protective, open the box to find my optima in untouched brand new condition compete with the different battery spacers if needed. Checked the charge and battery was completely charged upon arrival installed in my car and it fired right up better than before. Very happy with this battery would not hesitate to buy another one.

I have standardized on AGM starting and utility batteries for all of my vehicles and a 50 watt solar battery charging system used to keep all of my vehicles batteries changed between usage. I also carry a spare in each vehicle to act as an emergency jump starter system and to run an inverter.I have tried several different OEMs and the Optimas have taken my usage/sometimes abused for years and have not let me down. That said, I did have one that failed within the first year and Sam's club replaced it under warranty some time ago. My batteries are not babied and even power a 9000 pound vehicle recovery winch on my Jeep GC.I am also testing a Sear's DieHard Advanced Gold AGM and it has more energy per size than the Optimas have and I may purchase more of this type also due to the extra capacity. I have been told it is probably built by Odyssey, but can't confirm this.It is difficult to beat Amazon's delivered price on this Optima. Mine came packed well with no shipping damage.

Well, This was a tough decision for me. The reviews are mostly either "Love it or Hate it"... so I took a chance and purchased one. I had a "bargain" brand battery installed in my Suzuki SX4 and it was leaking acid all over everything. Well, I have been using this for about a month now with anywhere from 40 degrees above to 20 degrees below zero temperatures... and it hasn't failed me once. It seems to be a good battery... so far. I do notice that it doesn't like to sit for a couple of weeks before starting your vehicle though... it loses some of it's "umph". I am considering the battery tender to make sure it is charged up (my vehicle isn't used every day). Only time will tell whether this battery is worth the price tag. I have another quality brand in a different vehicle that is awesome and doesn't ever lose any of its charge... ever.Summarily... I think this battery is a decent choice of high end batteries. Is it the best? Only time will tell. Is it the worst? I don't think so. I think the Optima battery line is a viable choice when you are in the market for a battery.As for the shipping: The battery arrived in perfect condition and was well protected by the packaging. The battery was fully charged upon receipt (read 14V DC on my Fluke meter).

Very little needs to be said about an Optima battery... it's pretty universally recognized as one of the finest batteries manufactured. I do wish it was lighter... the suspension on my little '86 Celica GT definitely noticed the added weight over my previously installed battery, but that's the fault of my suspension, not the battery.I also wish there was a "blue top" edition, since my under hood color scheme is silver and blue, and the red top kinda sticks out like a sore thumb... but I'll live with it in exchange for the reliability and performance offered by Optima.Amazon is definitely the only place to get these... I shopped around my local parts stores for the same battery, just because I really like instant gratification rather than waiting a couple of days, but all my local stores were offering this battery for $50 to $90 MORE than Amazon's price, so in the end I went with ordering it. It arrived in two days and in truly frustration-free packaging, and took me about ten minutes to swap with my old battery. I was a little concerned that, in ordering this online, I might be receiving a battery that had been sitting in a warehouse for untold months or years, but my concerns were allayed immediately by the manufacture date of 10/13... frankly, I'm pretty sure I'd have gotten an older battery had I purchased this from a local store!Overall, I couldn't be more pleased. My old battery was fine, so I can't say that the performance is noticeably different, but the peace of mind offered by the 90-minute reserve capacity of this battery is priceless. Plus, it looks good - granted, the red clashes with my under hood color scheme, but it's instantly recognizable as an Optima, and I've already gotten more than a few "oo, nice battery" comments when I pop the hood. :-)