Looking at buying a battery for my wife's 05 4runner as the toyota battery is close to 7 years old.

I know the red top Optima has a 3 year free replacement warranty. But has anyone had their red top for 5 or maybe 7 years? I really don't want to buy an Autozone battery with a 3 year free replacement and 5 year pro rated warranty.

Optima is $205
Autozones best is $118

 

Do you have Advance Auto near you? I got a red top for about $180 before core trade a couple of months ago. They have terrific coupons. I just googled "Advance Auto coupon" and there is one now for $40 off and free shipping on orders over $100. I was not successful in trying to link it and didn't read if there are exclusions. I think I've read that the Sears platinum is really the best battery but Optima is pretty good. My 2000 4Runner went 7 years on a next to top of the line Sears battery. I've read on these forums that Optimas have had quality issues over the past few years but the three year warranty should help.

I like the Fisher Price effect of red battery, blue spark plug wires, maybe I'll get yellow vacuum lines...

 

I just had to get a new one in aug because mine lost a cell out in the desert. It was well past its 5 year warranty.

 

I really have to wonder are they really as good as they are hyped up to be??

Or is the fact no New vehicles come with them as far as i know just Union Politics ??

Seems I replace mine every few years I don`t think I ever had to warrant a battery most often something dumb I did.

 

Thanks for the replies so far...we currently have a toyota battery that's about at the end up of its warranty. This with a little one on the way I figure I might as well replace it and be proactive. I have had them before but they were not in my DD they always seemed hold a charge when not driven. I've just read the negatives and the positives...seems to be very mixed reviews.

So with the above things mentioned battery towards the end of its life...the little one on the way, winter approaching and a 20% off at the local autozone I think I'm just going to get the dura last gold which is $129 after core and before the discount. It has a 3 year free replacement warranty and two years pro rated after that. After looking around this seems to be the norm. Die hard platinum offers a 4 year free replacement and optima is 3 years as well.

I wonder if battery's are made was well as they use to be or if they just don't want to replace a battery for free it's...probably both. But I'm going to go with a dura last gold and hope it "lasts"

 

My redtop needs replacing at nearly 9 years old (start)
My yellowtop is 2 1/2 (house)
(dual batteries w/ACR)

 

The thing with batteries some many different things enter into battery life.

Myself I know I am so very hard on batteries short trips a long trip on this vehicle is a 20 mile round trip with as many as 4 or more starts and stops along the way.

The heat is harder on batteries then the cold the cold is just harder on the mechanical parts of the engine. I am also a good one for having discharged batteries freeze in the winter I also seem to have a gift for blowing batteries up.

So buying a few batteries a year is normal for me.

 

FYI for those looking at batteries. according the the reviews, the Sears Diehard Platinum is a re-badged Optima battery, for a cheaper price tag. The Autozone Duralast Gold series is one of the best standard car batteries on the market, and pretty affordable too.

i've never owned the Sears, but usually end up with the Duralast Gold once factory batteries are toast. Currently have 1 in my LandCruiser and very happy with it after 3yrs. truck battery will need to be replaced next year and will likely be the same.

 

The Sears diehard platinum batteries are actually rebadged Odyssey batteries, not Optimas.

 

ah, well they both started with "O". O well...technically a better battery

 

i had one for five years and now my nephue has it. between then and when he got it the truck sat for well over a year. i got that battery because my buddy had two that where five years old at the time. one of those two he still runs in his daily driver. they are good. i had a yellow top in my subaru it was a problematic car so it sat for months at a time several times a year the whole four years i had it. the battery started right up every time no issue at all. no charge needed. im not saying they are the best i dont know but they are better then anything i have tried. any more i just buy a yellow or redtop as soon as the battery that was in the car, when i got it dies.

 

I see three dates on the Red Top in my Tundra- '98, '99, and '00.....