Battery.....which to purchase

[DRIPS]

I was thinking of picking up an Optima battery. ANyone have one? Which model and color top should I get? ANy one else recommend another battery type?

I have a Y34 m45. pearl on cream interior.

[M45-Zero260]

I have heard that the Optima brand is the best currently, red top I believe? However, I installed a DieHard Gold 100 Month battery in my '03 about 18 months ago when I got the car, and have had no issues yet during hot humid Summers to cold-as-hell Winters here in Northern Illinois. I suppose it comes down to piece of mind...the Optima's cost more than 50% than my DieHard did, but they are something like 15 times more vibration resistant than 'other' batteries. So far, I have yet to launch my M45 off of an aircraft carrier, or land on one (my M45 came with navi, but no tail-hook) so I'm not too much sold on the vibration thing. It's your call...probably only a 1 time purchase for a lot of us, so I'd say go with the best.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,The yellow is somewhat the de facto standard in high end car audio circles. The red top is said by many, to be identical. I am not so sure but have heard this assertion for years. Either one will be an awesome product so you cannot go wrong either way,Cheers,M

[mrmark]

I've had both yellow and red tops....both have failed.

I like the SVR battery better....

[jagvet]

Can't speak to Optimas specifically, although I know they are pricey. Whatever you buy, be aware that Nissan (like most manufacturers) severely skimps on OEM battery power. The CCA (cold cranking amps) rating is THE most important parameter, regardless of the ad hype about 5-year, 7-year etc, and modern batteries usually fail with no warning whatever, such as slow cranking. The experts will tell you NO battery can be assumed reliable beyond 3 years. Better to replace "early" than have to be towed. Anyway, I learned when the factory battery failed on an '04 Maxima (at just under 3 years) that Nissan installed a battery with slightly more than HALF the CCA rating of the aftermarket model I bought for a whole $10 more. It's outrageous that the manufacturers (for whom even that price difference would virtually disappear in quantity buys) are such cheapskates on batteries.