Best Car Batteries of 2023

Size 24 and 24F (top terminal): Fits many Acura, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles.

Size 35 (top terminal): Fits most Japanese nameplates, including many recent Honda vehicles, most Subaru vehicles, and most Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles.

Size 47 (H5) (top terminal): Fits many Buick, Chevrolet, Fiat, and Volkswagen models.

Size 48 (H6) (top terminal): Fits many vehicles from Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

Size 49 (H8) (top terminal): Fits many vehicles from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz.

Size 51R (top terminal): Fits many vehicles from Honda and Nissan.

Size 65 (top terminal): Fits large cars, trucks, and sport-utility vehicles from Ford and Mercury.

Before you buy a new car battery, know the correct group number for your vehicle, which varies depending on make, model, year, and engine size.

Batteries are defined by physical size, type, and placement of the terminals, as well as mounting style. Be sure to replace your battery with one that’s from the same group so that it will fit its tray and the leads will connect properly.

The basic specs for a replacement battery can be read off the battery that’s currently in your car.

There are other sources to help you select the proper battery, including your owner’s manual, battery company websites, in-store guides, or your local mechanic. If you bought a used car, don’t assume it has the proper battery installed. Be sure to check with one of those other sources to identify the correct type.

This year’s results continue to show that buying a battery from a car dealership or mechanic might not be your best bet. For example, three EverStart batteries get a CR Best Buy designation, and they’re sold only at Walmart. Compared with the batteries sold at dealers or by mechanics, “EverStart’s warranties are just as good, and in some cases might be a little better,” says Mark Allwood, a senior market analyst at CR who covers car batteries.

Regardless of where you buy them and which brands they belong to, a majority of batteries are built by a handful of manufacturers, Allwood says. For example, Duracell car batteries—one of which gets a CR Best Buy designation—are made by East Penn, a major battery manufacturer.

CR’s experts caution against buying a battery online. There may be shipping restrictions. And although it can save you money over paying a local retailer—as much as $40, Allwood says—it might not be a good idea for those who aren’t experienced in installing a car battery.

“If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, you should go to a qualified mechanic,” says John Ibbotson, chief mechanic at CR’s Auto Test Center. “With most cars, battery replacement is a pretty straightforward job, but for some cars, the installation is more involved.” For example, some cars hide the battery under a seat, in the trunk, or behind a wheel well, which may require the removal of parts before installation.

Plus, even older vehicles can require some level of reprogramming by a mechanic to allow all systems to work when a battery is changed.

The good news is that many auto parts stores—including Advance Auto Parts and O’Reilly Auto Parts—offer free installation of most of the batteries they sell, as does Batteries Plus Bulbs.

Some auto parts chains may allow you to order a battery they don’t stock; they might also install it. Confirm before ordering.

When buying a car battery, it’s common to incur a “core” charge. This is essentially a deposit to motivate the car owner to return the old battery for recycling. About 90 percent of car batteries are truly recycled, making them a recycling success story.

Before buying, check the battery date code. The date can be found on a sticker affixed to the top or side of the battery. A battery made in July 2022 will have a numeric code of 7/22 or an alphanumeric code of G2 or G-2. A is for January, B is for February, and so on (the letter I is skipped). Fresher is better, although up to six months old should be fine.

Below are the best performing batteries in each tested group.