These are my first Optimas. I hope I have better luck than that. Here in the desert batteries don't have very long lives though.

 

I strongly recommend against using Optima's in a normal street-driven vehicle. They are great for their intended application, which is use in a vehicle that will physically abuse the battery, such as drag racing or off-roading. Normal lead-acid batteries can be easily damaged by that sort of jarring. However, Optima's tend to have amp output on the lower end, and typically only last about 3 years.

Most consumer batteries are made by Exide or Johnson Controls, and the premium lines are pretty decent. I've had good luck with Napa legend's. That said, if you can swing it, Interstate green tops are the best, IMO. But not cheap.

 

Like freestyledude, I've always just measured my battery box, and went down to the local farm supply store (FleetFarm here) and got the biggest battery I could fit in there. Doing this, I don't think I've ever had a battery rated less than 1000 CCA. Up until just 3 years ago I also never had a garage, so I really needed the extra CCA to reliably start in the cold. Now it's a little less necessary, but I still know that my vehicles will start after sitting in the parking lot. As for brand, I buy the house brand from the farm supply store. Oddly, I've never given it much consideration and have had amazing luck with it. I do know at least one person for each major brand that will swear by the battery, so I can't help you there.

 

If you want the last battery you will ever buy, look into AGM type batteries. Odyssey, kinetick, and a few other companies make them.

 

Just do your homework before plunking down the 2x or 3x the cost or a normal battery for an AGM to see if you really need it's benefits. AGM's are supposed to sulfate less, and the internal construction can resists more abuse (even a hole in the case, because the electrolyte is embedded in the glass mat and can't leak out) AGM's have a lower rate of loosing charge when not in use, so they could be good for vehicles that sit unused often.

A friend of mine had some kind of AGM in his daily driver, paid $250 for it and it appeared to have similar output to my $100 Duralast Gold. He was told he need to buy a special charger for it, and did but one ($100) in case he ever needed it. He might have been able to find a cheaper charger than $100, but I don't now. He said he never ended up using the extra charger, and the battery lasted less than 4 years out here in the Arizona heat. My last couple of Duralast Gold's lasted about the same amount. At this point in the game, I seem to be $250 richer than my buddy for the same result....

I'm not knocking these batteries, except to say that do your homework and make sure that the benefits an AGM has are worth the extra $$ to you.

Here in AZ, I don't even like the sealed "Maintenance Free" batteries. I want to be able to check and add water to the battery, particularly if I have taken it to Autozone and they hit it with the mondo 1 hour high amp charge that seems to boil out some of the water.

The most cost effective route I've found is to buy whatever high end (wet cell) battery your favorite retailer sells with the best warranty, and take it back to get the prorate , or free replacement, when it dies.

I had a co-worker years back that also ran Optima's in his "race car" mustang that he used as a daily driver. I believe he never got more than 4 years out of those Optima's as well.