Replacing CX5 OEM battery with a Group 35 AGM equivalent

Out of curiosity: Given that a RedTop35 Battery is 2.5 times as expensive as an Interstate Group 35 battery from Costco, can you offer reason/features as to why the battery is good value?
It Has better Cold Cranking Amps, about 3x the Lifespan of a standard battery, it's spillproof meaning mounting is never an issue, 15x more vibration resistant, faster charge rate, and they are good to -50F.

Straight from the OPTIMA site:

A battery is just a battery. Right?

Wrong!

The sophistication and number of automotive electronics are drastically increasing. Whether it's original equipment or the accessories you've added, you're drawing more power from your battery than ever before. Choosing the right OPTIMA battery will help you keep the tunes playing, the lights on and the engine starting.

OPTIMA batteries are the choice among performance enthusiasts who want to add more power to their adventures. Thanks to proprietary SPIRALCELL & PUREFLOW TECHNOLOGY®, these batteries are up to 15 times more vibration-resistant, which means they can take a lot of abuse both on and off the road, and provide up to three times the life of a traditional flooded battery.

OPTIMA battery grids are constructed of 99.99% pure lead. The purity of the lead provides lower internal resistance for additional power and quicker recharging, corrosion resistance for longer life and reduced self-discharge when stored on the shelf.

The case straps that connect the cells are far more robust than the tombstone welds commonly found in most other batteries. Those robust connections allow for better transfer of energy, both when you're charging your battery and when you need it to deliver power.

OPTIMA's Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) separators hold electrolyte like a sponge to eliminate acid spilling. Each maintenance-free battery is also completely sealed, preventing corrosion and acid spills.
 
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If you charge the agm accordingly
I think they would last more time than the non AGMs. Thats the biggest problem with most car batteries, undercharging and constant low state of charge.
Some AGMs actually perform better to the heat and cold as well.
Good purchase. Enjoy.
 
It Has better Cold Cranking Amps, about 3x the Lifespan of a standard battery, it's spillproof meaning mounting is never an issue, 15x more vibration resistant, faster charge rate, and they are good to -50F.

Straight from the OPTIMA site:

A battery is just a battery. Right?

Wrong!

The sophistication and number of automotive electronics are drastically increasing. Whether it's original equipment or the accessories you've added, you're drawing more power from your battery than ever before. Choosing the right OPTIMA battery will help you keep the tunes playing, the lights on and the engine starting.

OPTIMA batteries are the choice among performance enthusiasts who want to add more power to their adventures. Thanks to proprietary SPIRALCELL & PUREFLOW TECHNOLOGY®, these batteries are up to 15 times more vibration-resistant, which means they can take a lot of abuse both on and off the road, and provide up to three times the life of a traditional flooded battery.

OPTIMA battery grids are constructed of 99.99% pure lead. The purity of the lead provides lower internal resistance for additional power and quicker recharging, corrosion resistance for longer life and reduced self-discharge when stored on the shelf.

The case straps that connect the cells are far more robust than the tombstone welds commonly found in most other batteries. Those robust connections allow for better transfer of energy, both when you're charging your battery and when you need it to deliver power.

OPTIMA's Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) separators hold electrolyte like a sponge to eliminate acid spilling. Each maintenance-free battery is also completely sealed, preventing corrosion and acid spills.
Quoting a company's marketing material as if its an unbiased fact is almost as bad as posting something from Scotty.
 
Quoting a company's marketing material as if its an unbiased fact is almost as bad as posting something from Scotty.

I'd be interested in seeing some unbiased factual info about AGM vs. typical wet cell, if you have it. It would be valuable to the discussion at hand.
 
I'd be interested in seeing some unbiased factual info about AGM vs. typical wet cell, if you have it. It would be valuable to the discussion at hand.
I don't have any, but would also love to see some. I'm just pointing out that its completely unhelpful to post something from the most biased place you could get it. It appears that my US '19 Signature does not have i-ELOOP, so I don't have to worry about compatibility.
 
I don't have any, but would also love to see some. I'm just pointing out that its completely unhelpful to post something from the most biased place you could get it. It appears that my US '19 Signature does not have i-ELOOP, so I don't have to worry about compatibility.

Some information is better than none, IMO. Even if it is marketing speak, it is very likely rooted in some fact, so I wouldn't dismiss it fully - instead, as it turns out, it has provided an incentive to search out more credible, unbiased information.

Admittedly I don't know much about the differences between the two - only that a replacement battery for my CX-9 would likely run me ~$100 CAD, while replacing the dead AGM battery in my dad's 2018 Equinox cost me twice as much. I do remember that the first auto parts store I went to quoted me a price of $290, and then told me that regardless of where I buy the battery, to make sure it was an AGM battery because the vehicle's electrical system is designed around the AGM battery.
 
Prompted by this conversation, I did some (although not exhaustive) searching. I haven't been able to find anything that I would consider unbiased. With prior cars, I usually got about 5 years from the standard battery and I'm not sure I expect to get much (if any) more from an AGM. I'll gladly pay an extra $100 if there's some solid benefit. Since the OEM battery is standard and I don't have i-ELOOP, I can't find anything to convince me that there's a major positive over putting some marketing team's kids through college. I should have a few more years before I need the answer, I generally like tech and this thread piqued my interest.
 
here is what my observation is based on the AGM I got.

pros
no spill, no liquid to worry about
no liquid to boil or refill
larger CCA capacity vs flooded
faster charging to 80-85%
slow idle discharge
some AGMs keep lower internal temp due to special/better casing.

cons
more expensive, almost 2x. big cost
requires charge to 100% soc in order to last more time vs flooded.
normal daily city drive cannot charge more than 85%
heavier than flooded batteries
 
...
normal daily city drive cannot charge more than 85%
...

You are partially correct if your daily city driving only has the vehicle running less than 60 minutes total for the day

"
It takes a couple hours for a full charge.

The first 80-85% of the charge happens fairly quickly--in 60-90 minutes or so. But the remaining 15-20% happens quite slowly, and takes another 60-90 minutes or so.

Many people stop charging when the battery "seems full", even though they still have another 15% to go. Repeated over time, that causes the battery to lose capacity.
"

from here:
which is talking about AGM batteries used in RV/van living applications but would apply to AGM in general.

is this topic fully discussed yet?

TLDR

should I use an AGM battery?
*if iLOOP in vehicle -- no ; not compatible (currently)

else

it is your money spend it how you want.
 
I'm taking my 19 into the dealer this week to replace the battery.

Anyway, replacement battery is 150.00 and I have a 20.00 coupon. Plus I get the OEM guarantee.
I also got a genuine Mazda “High-Performance” battery for CX-5 last October. The OEM battery sold by US Mazda dealers is made by Interstate. Other than the case color, it looks exactly the same as the Interstate Group 35 battery sold at Costco for $79. The difference is OEM battery has 550 CCA with black plastic case but Costco Interstate Group 35 battery has 640 CCA with white plastic case.

OEM battery has 36/60-month replacement warranty. 1-36 months: free replacement and labor. 37-48 months: customer is responsible for 70% of the battery MSRP and labor. 49-60 months: 80% of the battery MSRP and labor.

Costco Interstate battery has simple 36-month replacement warranty.

If you consider much higher MSRP and labor charge on OEM battery, the 60-month pro-rated part of battery warranty is almost meaningless.

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⋯ It appears that my US '19 Signature does not have i-ELOOP, so I don't have to worry about compatibility.
Mazda vehicles with i-ELOOP and/or i-stop do not have AGM battery from factory. The Mazda OEM replacement Q85 battery for those with i-ELOOP in the US and i-stop in other regions is a standard flooded battery too.

AGM battery

Mazda factory Panasonic battery for i-ELOOP and/or i-stop:
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Mazda factory Panasonic battery for those CX-5’s without i-ELOOP and i-stop:
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The car is designed to use flooded batteries. To me, the CCA is important, and the lead plates must be thick to get high CCA. 640 of the Costco battery is great. That is what I would get. The problem is I don't have a membership to Costco. And currently I don't need a battery.
 
We replaced the OEM battery on our 17 CX-5 last week with a group 35 Napa The Legend Premium AGM (made by East Penn, same as O'Reilly Superstart Premium and apparently also the Duracell AGM). It's been cold in Miami (well, for Miami, 50F) and the car was slow to crank. With an upcoming trip up north to snowy climates, we decided to replace it before we go.
 
My CX5 2016 battery is looking like it's giving up the ghost. It just wouldn't start today, and it's done this six months previously. Last time it happened it was after the car hadn't been used for four weeks, I then charged it with a battery tender and it ran fine - till now

Recently the parking brake wouldn't dis-engage from a cold start and I suspect it was the battery more than anything - especially since now the car gets driven just once a week - and that too to the nearest grocery store which is like 10 mins away.

Charging with a battery tender now, but would like to just drop in a new battery. After all, it's been almost six years :)

I checked WheelWorks and the replacement for a 2016 CX5 Group 35 battery is quoted at $199 with $15 for install (yay to Bay Area prices)

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Has anyone used Interstate AGM batteries with the CX-5? Is there a need to adjust the charging rate for the battery? Or is this AGM battery a true change-and-forget replacement? I read some internet forum posts on how alternators will kill AGM batteries unless the charge rate is set specifically for that battery

Anyone with experience of AGM batteries in the CX-5 in general?
Pepboys has a very, very good AGM battery which I use. The price is awesome if web bought as they give 15% off including free install in most places. Their Champion series has 3 and 4 year.
Additionally its not pro-rated but real 3 years. I was lucky and got their Bosch AGM S6 which is 4 year non pro-rated.
Costco used to have very good but after they stopped whatever they carried before and switched to these ones, they suck.
 
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While taking the 3-month old dead Group 51R Interstate battery used on my 1998 Honda CR-V replaced, I noticed this Costco in San Jose has Group 35 Interstate AGM battery on the shelf. The price is $159 instead of $89 for standard flooded battery. The flooded Interstate Group 35 battery at Costco now looks different too. It has black plastic case and it looks exactly the same as OEM Mazda High-Performance battery. See post #52 above.
 
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