Choosing the right car battery is quite important. Because you want it to last for a few years to come, and you want the battery to be suitable for your climate. For example, if you live in a cold area and you get a battery that doesn’t have enough Cold Cranking Amps, you are essentially stuck with a useless piece of junk.
When looking for a car battery, there are many brands to pick from, but no other brand name pops up like ACDelco Batteries and Interstate Batteries. These two tend to be quite popular, but how do these two compare? It turns out there is very little information and even outright wrong information regarding ACDelco Batteries VS Interstate Batteries. This guide will compare these two car battery brands based on CCA, reserve capacity, and other important criteria.
AC Delco battery vs Interstate – Brand History
ACDelco is quite old, although it has changed its name a few times. But ever since its inception, it’s been an integral part of GM motors. Yes, ACDelco is part of GM Motors, and ACDelco has a history that stretches back to 1916. So, that’s over a century-old battery brand we are talking about
On the other hand, though it may not be as old as the ACDelco, it’s also pretty old. Founded in 1952 by a gentleman named John Searcy, the Interstate battery has dominated the car battery landscape for seven decades as of 2022.
Types Of Batteries Offered
ACDelco
| Type | Usage |
|---|---|
| AGM Battery | Better shelf life due to corrosion and overcharging prevention |
| Sealed Maintenance Free | An improved alternative of lead-acid batteries with deep cycle use |
| Enhanced Flooded Battery | manufactured with lead-calcium alloy and high-density paste |
| Low Maintenance Accessible Batteries | No maintenance required |
Interstate
| Type | Usage |
|---|---|
| MT Battery | Better suited in hot climates |
| MTX Battery | AGM-focused line of batteries |
| M Series | Better suited to be used in a moderate climate |
| Commercial | For High CCA use |
| MTZ Battery | Vehicles with DVD players, phone chargers, and GPS devices. |
Reserve Capacity
Reserve capacity is the amount of time a battery can maintain a minimum voltage level when not being charged by the alternator. This is an important factor to consider, as it can mean the difference between being stranded on the side of the road or making it to your destination.
ACDelco batteries such as ACDelco Gold 94RAGM have a reserve capacity of up to 140 minutes, while Interstate batteries like MTZ-34 have a reserve capacity of up to 120 minutes. This can vary depending on the specific models from these brands, but Interstate AGM Batteries tend to come with more reserve capacity than the ACDelco. I have found the highest reserve capacity of ACDelco AGM batteries is 170 minutes, while interstate batteries do not have a reserve capacity of more than 150 minutes.
Cold Cranking Amps
Cold-cranking amps (CCA) measure a battery’s ability to start a car in cold weather. This is an important factor to consider if you live in an area with cold winters.
Regarding CCA, interstate batteries tend to fall behind the ACDelco batteries despite many claiming otherwise. The highest CCA battery is found for the Interstate M-49/H8, which has a CCA of 850. As for the ACDelco, their highest CCA battery available in the market is the ACDelco S59590 AGM battery, which is 900 CCA.
So despite many people claiming interstate batteries have more CCA ability than ACDelco batteries, this is not true.
Ampere Hour (Ah)
The Ampere Hour is the most commonly used unit of measurement for car batteries. It measures the amount of electrical current a battery can deliver in one hour. The higher the number, the more powerful the battery.
Both ACDelco and Interstate have a long line of batteries that offer a diverse Ampere Hour according to the battery types. Like Interstate 31M-AGM comes with an ampere-hour of 100.
But there is much more than just one or two products to these giant battery brands. For example, interstate batteries can have an Ampere hour as low as 12 Ah to as high as 100 ah.
The same applies to the ACDelco as well. They have batteries with a high Ah rating, such as 180 Ah, and you can find a low Ah ACDelco battery with only 6ah.
Warranty
When it comes to warranty, Interstate batteries offer a variety of different warranties that cover the battery from 18 months to 48 months. It will depend on the series of batteries you are purchasing. The Interstate M series offers only 18 months of warranty, while the Interstate MTZ series offers 48 months of the extended warranty period.
As for ACDelco, their warranty coverage ranges from 18 months to 42 months period depending on the battery type you have purchased. For example, if you have purchased an AGM Gold battery from ACDelco, you will get a 36-month warranty, while an AGM silver Battery will cover you for 18 to 24 months.
Most importantly, both of them offer a free replacement warranty offer. So if something goes wrong within your warranty period, both of them will replace your battery.
Cost
Though it will depend on specific models, ACDelco has a distinctive advantage over interstate batteries. Interstate batteries tend to cost more than ACDelco batteries. ACDelco batteries will cost you at least $100 less than interstate batteries with similar features.
Final verdict
Although many people will tell you to pick interstate batteries if you live in a colder climate, it turns out ACDelco will be able to support you just fine in cold temperatures. This is because it has a few batteries that can provide enough CCA. But most importantly, the ACDelco battery has a clear edge regarding reserve capacity. Any ACDelco battery with comparatively low CCA. tends to have at least 10 to 20 minutes more reserve capacity than an interstate battery with even a High or similar CCA.
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