Optima batteries $99 at Pep Boys

[Rich Stern]

After $25 rebate.



I don't think I've ever seen these available for that low a price. I've never been a fan of them when priced at $150, unless circumstances demanded having an AGM battery. But at $99...well worth it.

 

[TRACket Paul]

I saw that too. I might go for it, but it is with a mail-in rebate. So who knows if or when I'll get my $25 back.

 

[Rich Stern]

Paul, my experience with rebates from quality brand manufacturers is consistently good. They are not interested in trashing their brand name over rebate issues. There are rebate fullfillment companies out there that play games to lower the number of rebate payouts, but the better manufacturers try not to hire them because it pisses off consumers when they don't get their rebates.



I've done scores of rebates over the years, and have only had problems with a handful. When it goes bad, it is a low rent brand.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Office Max. They are the worst on mail-in rebates.



Seen Summit Racing have them on sale for $89.00 with no rebate.





Tom

 

[TRACket Paul]

Thanks Rich, I guess that's been my experience too.



Thanks Caymen, too bad they don't have that pricing now.

 

[EddieS'04]

What I hate about rebates , is you still pay rhe sales tax. Does that mean the store keeps the extra Tax because of the rebate.?

 

[Les]

Does that mean the store keeps the extra Tax because of the rebate.?

No, the great State of Texas, or where-ever you are from does...

 

[David Griffith 2]

I paid 89 for mine at Advance.

 

[TrainTrac]

Seen Summit Racing have them on sale for $89.00 with no rebate.

That's a good price, but then you have to pay shipping, which on something as heavy as a battery, would probably bring the price back up over $120.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Not for me. I live a mile from there.





Tom

 

[TrainTrac]

They're also on sale at Advance Auto Parts. Advance is offering a $25 rebate, and there's a $25 rebate available from Optima's website right now. So with the sale price, and $50 in rebates, it looks like a pretty good deal on an Optima battery. I think I'm gonna take the plunge.

 

[Dreman]

What's the big deal? I paid $39 for my last battery at Auto Zone. It wasn't Optima, but it's never let me down even once in the two years I've had it. Why pay the price for an Optima?

 

[Aaron Yarbough]

Why pay the price for an Optima?

I totally agree, but at the end of the day it's all about personal preference. Hoenstly I don't see the great 'value' in an Optima battery, but some do. I buy AutoZones Duralast and they have always given me at least 4 yrs of service here with the Texas heat.

 

[Bill Barber]

For 99 bux, the reason to buy optima is that it is just a far superior battery compared to duralast.

 

[Dreman]

Far superior how? If I can buy two batteries plus some for the same price as one optima, and they last just as long, what is the advantage?

 

[Bill Barber]

Can you buy two duralast batts for 99 bux?

The two optimas I had in my RV were 9 yrs old and still going strong.

Will the duralast, last 9 yrs? I think not.

 

[TRACket Paul]

The original Motorcraft battery in mine is now 5 years old and still works well.

 

[Dreman]

I don't even buy the duralast, I buy the valucraft. And they all seem to have gone up in price, since the last one I bought was 39.99 two years ago. Now they seem to be 74.99 and up. As far as how long they last, the last battery I had that lasted 9 years was a Sears Diehard, from back when they actually lived up to their name. I didn't think any battery would last 9 years nowadays.



Back when I was in college I worked for a car parts place for a few months. We saw a lot of one and two year old diehards coming in needing replacement, but the three year old and up were still going strong. They changed to a new style about then, and everybody followed suit. After that, it didn't seem to make any difference which battery you bought, it would only last three or four years tops.



Maybe that has changed. I've only bought three batteries in the past 12 years anyway, for three different cars.

 

[Rich Stern]

Optimas serve some good purposes:



1) They loose their charge very slowly. If you are in a situations where your vehicle sits for extended periods, an Optima is a good choice because it self-discharges MUCH slower than a traditional lead acid battery.



2) They can be mounted at any angle. Not important for most car applications, but can be useful for boats and unusal applications.



3) Very durable. Shock and vibration resistent. Positive for offroading and boating applications.



4) Long lasting. I have a blue top (hybrid starting/deep cycle) that I have used as a trolling motor battery, for jump starting, and now as a UPS battery. It's about seven or eight years old. If I lose power here at the house, it will power my PC for a couple of hours. It's still going strong.



5) No outgassing when charged. Useful for indoor applications (like a computer UPS, inverter, etc.).



I am NOT a fan of Optimas for $150, nor do I think they should be used as a substitute for a good quality flooded battery when the situation doesn't demand it. My ST's OEM Motorcraft lasted seven years. That was a great battery.



At under $100, Optimas are a very good value for a quality battery with specific performance traits. If my blue top died tomorrow, I'd go get another, even if for no other reason to simply to have around the house.