Most of our Forum members know I'm a big fan of absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries and I've been using them for years. I currently have an Exide Edge in my Protégé, I installed an Optima Red Top in my son's 2011 2.5 L 3 and while my wife's 2013 SkyActiv 3 still has the OEM storage device, when replacement time comes due once again it will be an AGM.
Despite the proven advantages of AGM batteries, one contemporary product failed to make the grade. As reported in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, in their latest round of car battery tests, one model failed miserably: the Duralast Platinum with AGM technology. Consumer Reports applies the industry-wide standard battery life test which involves repeated charge and discharge cycles over a period of 15 weeks after which time it should still exhibit good performance. Not only did all the tested Duralast AGM batteries fail to reach the 15 week threshold but they all performed worse than the Duralast conventional batteries.
No reason was given for this abject failure but caveat emptor.
Duralast is sold by Autozone so those of you in the market for an AGM type ought to look elsewhere.
Happy Motoring!
Despite the proven advantages of AGM batteries, one contemporary product failed to make the grade. As reported in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, in their latest round of car battery tests, one model failed miserably: the Duralast Platinum with AGM technology. Consumer Reports applies the industry-wide standard battery life test which involves repeated charge and discharge cycles over a period of 15 weeks after which time it should still exhibit good performance. Not only did all the tested Duralast AGM batteries fail to reach the 15 week threshold but they all performed worse than the Duralast conventional batteries.
No reason was given for this abject failure but caveat emptor.
Duralast is sold by Autozone so those of you in the market for an AGM type ought to look elsewhere.
Happy Motoring!
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