Gather information about your cars and the automobile batteries you need

Most battery manufacturer's websites have an interactive area where you can enter your car's make, model, class and engine data, then get a list of recommended auto batteries to fit that car.

I recommend: A tough battery with a great warranty is ACDelco. Their website has interactive areas that will give you a list of products and help you locate a dealer. They also offer maintenance planning and reminder service on their site.

Choose maintenance-free car batteries for less hassle

Yesterday's automobile batteries required periodic checking, filling with distilled water, and recharging. Today most batteries are maintenance-free. To prevent leakage, some are entirely sealed.

I recommend: Optima Batteries manufactures zero maintenance completely encapsulated lead acid batteries that come with a great warranty and good CCA's. Use the "Find a Battery" tool along with the "Find a Retailer" section of their website. For a Superflex maintenance free battery, Superior Battery has an interactive website to help you compare car batteries and locate a dealer in your area.

Look for a nationwide vehicle battery replacement program for cars that travel great distances

Your car wouldn't start in Billings, Montana, one cold morning, so you bought a new vehicle battery. A week later, you are in Phoenix, Arizona, and your car is starting sluggishly. Hopefully, your new battery has a nationwide replacement program.

I recommend: The best nationwide replacement program is on Interstate batteries and they are opening new franchises every day. Interstate also makes the best car battery around. Find the local dealer using the interactive tool on their website.

Get hard-to-find car batteries for specialty and collector cars.

If you are in the business of restoring antique cars or you own one, you might need a source for specialty batteries for these vehicles.

I recommend: New Castle Battery Mfg offers new reproduction vehicle batteries to fit most collector cars. They offer online ordering, ship the batteries dry, and then you fill them with sulphuric acid and apply a charge.