We currently have 6 Optima side terminal batteries, 2 Odyssey PC1200 batteries, and 1 Delco.

A few observations from this angle:

The Odyssey batteries are 4+ years old and still going strong. They never exhibit corrosion around the terminals nor need any cleaning. Our battery
boxes are built for the Odyssey size which is considerably smaller than a normal battery. If we loose a battery in Nowhere, USA, it is going to be hard to replace it. That's why we have two of them in the same vehicle and have a isolator switch. They arent the cheapest to buy but for the cost per month, they probably are a good buy. The Odyssey battery can be mounted in any orientation so it is handy for smaller cars with tight spaces.

We burn thru Optimas it seems. They are relatively cheap at $130 or so. They seem to last a couple or three years.....we rotate them in vehicles so that the vehicle driven far from home always has the newest and the local parts truck gets the oldest. Optima's warranty is sporadic....some places replace them without wimper but others take more effort.... for a battery that wont hold a charge, Optima has a detailed test procedure.....slow charge for 24 hours and a load test. Gee, if I'm on the road, I dont have 24 hours for them to test my battery!

Optimas have replaced DieHards as the stock sized battery of choice for the hot weather.

mike in tucson