So, I tried to swap out my factory battery in my Outback. Rather than deal with the folks at Sears, I decided to read on here to find out what people liked (and didn't) about batteries. Then I started reading about Optima and Odyssey. It sounded interesting, so I went to a local auto shop dealer, and picked up a red-top. Everything went fine until I attempted to connect the positive terminal. Oops. The positive lead was only long enough to reach a terminal on a drop-in Group 35 replacement. The terminals on the Optima are too far toward the middle of the battery. Since the lead is harnessed in and clipped in quite a few places, I didn't feel like ripping and tearing into it just for a battery. The shop owner didn't have any extenders for an SAE terminal lead, so I was forced to return the battery. He was apologetic and gave me a refund. He did mention that I was the first person who had this kind of problem that he has seen. I am surprised since my battery size is quite common for passenger sedans.
So, I decided to look up Odyssey and see if it might work. The terminals are nicely located at the end of the battery, so it may fit. However, the only local vendor is Batteries Plus, who wants $150 for the PC925MJ (no terminals!). With terminals I'm going to be spending considerably more than for an Optima red-top ($100). I asked the dealer about his return rate for Odyssey vs. traditional wet-cell types, and he said that for my application he didn't have much data since most people use it for marine installs. There's apparently no prorate on the warranty after the 2-year replacement warranty. This seems like a bit hard to swallow for such a short guarantee. I was quoted locally $72.95 for an install of an Interstate, so we're talking over 2X the price...
Any suggestions? Should I just bag it and get a traditional wet-cell battery? If so, could you folks recommend a brand?
Thanks,
-Clint