Car Battery Showdown: EverStart vs Super Start Performance Compared

Introduction

Car batteries can vary dramatically in price. A basic EverStart Value battery from Walmart costs around $79, while the EverStart Platinum sells for $189. The question is whether that price difference translates into real performance differences. To find out, we tested nine group size 65 batteries: four from Walmart’s EverStart line and five from O’Reilly’s Super Start line.

The Walmart lineup includes the EverStart Value at $79, EverStart Plus at $117, EverStart Max at $150, and EverStart Platinum at $189. The O’Reilly lineup includes the Super Start Value at $100, Super Start Economy at $120, Super Start Premium at $180, Super Start Extreme at $215, and Super Start Platinum at $260. All batteries were purchased at retail, and all were tested using the same equipment and procedures.

How We Tested

Each battery was tested for voltage, cold cranking amps, internal resistance, and state of health using an electronic battery tester. We also performed load testing with a carbon pile tester, both at ambient temperature and after cooling the batteries to 0°F in a freezer for 24 hours. Finally, we measured reserve capacity by draining each battery at a precise 25-amp load.

The electronic tester measures cold cranking amps at 0°F, which is the standard rating condition. Internal resistance is a key indicator of battery quality, as it represents the natural opposition to the flow of electrical current within the battery. Lower internal resistance means energy flows more freely, similar to water flowing quickly through a wide garden hose.

EverStart Value

The EverStart Value is the least expensive battery in this test at $79. It is rated for 650 cold cranking amps and claims a reserve capacity of 120 minutes. It comes with a 1-year warranty and is made in South Korea. The battery weighs 37.75 lb.

At ambient temperature, the EverStart Value delivered 681 cold cranking amps, which is better than its 650 rating. However, internal resistance measured 5.32 mΩ, which is at the higher end of normal. The state of health showed only 88% for a brand new battery, which is concerning.

EverStart Plus

The EverStart Plus costs $117 and is rated for 750 cold cranking amps, 100 more than the Value. It claims a reserve capacity of 140 minutes and comes with a 2-year warranty. It is also made in South Korea and weighs 40.44 lb.

At ambient temperature, the EverStart Plus delivered 787 cranking amps, beating its 750 rating. Internal resistance improved slightly to 4.62 mΩ, but the state of health still showed only 88% for a new battery.

EverStart Max

The EverStart Max costs $150 and is rated for 850 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 160 minutes. It includes a 3-year full replacement warranty and is made in South Korea. The battery weighs 40.39 lb.

At ambient temperature, the EverStart Max delivered 854 cranking amps, just above its rating. Internal resistance measured 4.26 mΩ, the best of the Walmart flooded batteries so far. However, the state of health showed only 84% for a brand new battery.

EverStart Platinum

The EverStart Platinum costs $189 and is the only absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery in the Walmart lineup. It is rated for 775 cold cranking amps, 75 less than the Max, and claims a reserve capacity of 150 minutes. It includes a 4-year full replacement warranty and is made in South Korea. At 46.4 lb, it is the heaviest EverStart battery tested.

At ambient temperature, the EverStart Platinum delivered 859 cranking amps, 84 better than its rating. Internal resistance measured just 3.5 mΩ, by far the best of the Walmart batteries. This was also the only Walmart battery to show 100% state of health.

Super Start Value

The Super Start Value costs $100 and is rated for 650 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 120 minutes. It comes with only a 90-day warranty and is made in Mexico. The battery weighs 41.725 lb.

At ambient temperature, the Super Start Value delivered an impressive 903 cranking amps, 253 better than its rating. Internal resistance measured 4.03 mΩ, which is impressive for a value battery. The state of health showed 100%.

Super Start Economy

The Super Start Economy costs $120, $20 more than the Value. It is rated for 650 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 120 minutes. It comes with a 1-year warranty and is made in Mexico. The battery weighs 42.325 lb.

At ambient temperature, the Super Start Economy delivered 906 cranking amps, just three more than the Value. Internal resistance measured 4.01 mΩ, nearly identical to the Value. The state of health showed 100%.

Super Start Premium

The Super Start Premium costs $180 and is rated for 750 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 140 minutes. It comes with a 2-year warranty. This is a flooded lead-acid battery weighing 41.43 lb.

At ambient temperature, the Super Start Premium delivered 1,007 cranking amps, by far the best of all batteries tested so far. Internal resistance measured 3.6 mΩ, which is very good for a flooded lead-acid battery. The state of health showed 100%.

Super Start Extreme

The Super Start Extreme costs $215 and is rated for 850 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 150 minutes. It includes a full 3-year replacement warranty and is made in Mexico. This flooded lead-acid battery weighs 46.86 lb.

At ambient temperature, the Super Start Extreme delivered 1,106 cranking amps, over 250 better than the Walmart EverStart Max. Internal resistance measured just 3.24 mΩ, the best of all batteries tested. The state of health showed 100%.

Super Start Platinum

The Super Start Platinum costs $260 and is the only absorbed glass mat battery in the O’Reilly lineup. It is rated for 750 cold cranking amps with a reserve capacity of 150 minutes. It includes a full replacement 4-year warranty and is made in the USA with US or imported components. At just over 47 lb, it is the heaviest battery tested.

At ambient temperature, the Super Start Platinum delivered 802 cranking amps, better than its rating. Internal resistance measured 3.75 mΩ, slightly higher than the Walmart EverStart Platinum’s 3.5 mΩ.

Cold Cranking Amp Performance at 0°F

To properly test cold cranking amps, all batteries were cooled to 0°F in a freezer for 24 hours. This is the standard condition for the cold cranking amp rating.

The EverStart Value delivered only 525 cold cranking amps, 125 below its rating. Internal resistance rose to 6.84 mΩ, and the battery performed like it had only 81% of its life left. The EverStart Plus managed 636 cold cranking amps, over 100 short of its 750 rating. The EverStart Max struggled even more at 654 cold cranking amps, almost 200 short of its 850 rating.

The EverStart Platinum performed best among the Walmart batteries at 746 cold cranking amps, just short of its 775 rating. Internal resistance measured 4.04 mΩ with a 97% state of health.

The Super Start batteries performed significantly better in the cold. The Super Start Value delivered 827 cold cranking amps, over 300 more than the Walmart Value. The Super Start Economy delivered 743, and the Super Start Premium delivered 766, beating its 750 rating. The Super Start Extreme was the standout at 993 cold cranking amps, well above its 850 rating, with an internal resistance of just 3.65 mΩ.

The Super Start Platinum AGM delivered 668 cold cranking amps, 82 below its rating. This was not as strong as the Super Start flooded batteries, and the Walmart EverStart Platinum AGM outperformed it in this test.

Load Testing at 0°F

After the cold cranking amp tests, we performed a 15-second load test on each battery using a carbon pile tester. For cold batteries, the voltage should remain at 8.9 volts or higher after 15 seconds.

The EverStart Value held at 9.37 volts, and the EverStart Plus at 9.33 volts. The EverStart Max dropped to 9.11 volts, while the EverStart Platinum held strong at 9.71 volts.

The Super Start batteries performed better across the board. The Super Start Value held at 10.02 volts, the Super Start Economy at 9.9 volts, and the Super Start Premium at 9.74 volts. The Super Start Extreme held at 9.99 volts, and the Super Start Platinum also reached 9.99 volts. All Super Start batteries outperformed their Walmart counterparts in this test.

Reserve Capacity Testing

Reserve capacity measures how many minutes a fully charged battery can sustain a 25-amp load before its voltage drops below 10.5 volts. This indicates the battery’s endurance and serves as a critical backup if the alternator fails.

The EverStart Value lasted 121.5 minutes, slightly better than its 120-minute rating. The EverStart Plus lasted just over 139 minutes, very close to its 140-minute rating. The EverStart Max lasted 155.5 minutes, a few minutes short of its 160-minute rating. The EverStart Platinum lasted about 133.5 minutes, about 16.5 minutes short of its rating.

The Super Start Value lasted 119 minutes, just one minute short of its rating. The Super Start Economy lasted 126 minutes and 40 seconds, better than its rating. The Super Start Premium lasted about 144 minutes, four minutes longer than its 140-minute rating. The Super Start Extreme lasted just over 131 minutes, about 19 minutes short of its 150-minute rating. The Super Start Platinum lasted about 146 minutes, almost four minutes short of its rating.

The EverStart Max lasted the longest overall at 155.4 minutes, followed by the Super Start Platinum at 146.2 minutes and the Super Start Premium at 144 minutes.

Overall Rankings

When converting the raw test data into a first-to-ninth-place ranking across all categories, the Super Start Extreme came out on top with an average finish of second place. It outperformed the Walmart flooded lead-acid batteries in nearly every category of testing.

The Super Start Premium finished in second place with an average finish of 3.1. The $189 Walmart EverStart Platinum finished in a two-way tie for third place with the $100 Super Start Value battery.

When comparing only the flooded lead-acid batteries, all Super Start batteries outperformed all Walmart EverStart batteries. The Walmart flooded batteries showed below 90% state of health when new, which is a significant concern. The Walmart absorbed glass mat battery did outperform the Super Start AGM by a small margin, but the overall quality difference in the flooded batteries was substantial.

Buying Advice

If you need a battery that performs well in the coldest conditions, the Super Start Extreme is the clear choice. It delivered the highest cold cranking amp output at 0°F and the lowest internal resistance of any battery tested.

For a strong balance of performance and price, the Super Start Premium at around $180 offers excellent value. It finished second overall and outperformed more expensive options in several tests.

The Walmart EverStart Platinum is a solid AGM option if you prefer that technology, and it outperformed the Super Start Platinum AGM in cold cranking amp testing. However, the flooded lead-acid EverStart batteries showed concerning state of health readings when new, suggesting quality control issues with the current supplier.

Conclusion

Not all car batteries are created equal. The price difference between budget and premium options can be significant, but in this test, the more expensive Super Start batteries generally delivered better performance across cold cranking amps, internal resistance, and load testing. The Super Start Extreme was the standout performer, while the Super Start Premium offered the best balance of price and performance. If you are shopping for a group size 65 battery, the test results suggest that the O’Reilly Super Start line offers better overall value than the Walmart EverStart flooded batteries.