Modern cars have so many electronic features that rely on the battery that you don’t want to skimp on power. For a 2009 Nissan Altima battery, you want something that not only provides plenty of cranking and starting amps, but also enough reserve power to run the car’s many features.
What is the best battery for a 2009 Nissan Altima?
The best choice for a 2009 Altima is a dual purpose Group Size 35 lead-acid battery. Cold-cranking amps for Group Size 35 batteries range from 620 all the way up to 850, with a reserve charge that ranges from 98 minutes up to 130 minutes.
In this article, we’ll explore your battery options for the 2009 Nissan Altima, as well as the pros and cons of the various types of batteries available in Group Size 35.
Battery Group Sizes Explained
Battery group sizes are based on the dimensions of the battery and the location and type of the terminals. Most of the Group Size 35 batteries look like every other battery on the shelf at your favorite auto parts store.
Here are the approximate dimensions of a Group Size 35 battery:
- Length: 9 & 1/16″
- Width: 6 & 7/8″
- Height: 8 & 7/8″
We say the dimensions are “approximate” because the length can vary a little bit on Group Size 35 batteries. Some batteries in this group size can be up to 1/2″ longer than that.
Tip: Measure the length of the battery compartment in your 2009 Nissan Altima to ensure proper fit. You don’t want to buy a battery that’s too long for the compartment.
Lead Acid, Lithium Ion or SLI?
A lead acid battery from Group Size 35 is your best choice for a 2009 Nissan Altima. That’s because the 2009 Altima has a lot of secondary electronic features in it.
Even the base 2009 Nissan Altima 2.5 trim has many advanced electronic safety features, anti-theft features and other electronics that rely on reserve power. A lead acid battery will provide the necessary reserve power to run all those electronics.
There is one lithium ion battery that will fit a 2009 Nissan Altima: the LiFePO(4). We do not recommend this battery for the 2009 Nissan Altima. It does have some attractive features, such as its light weight (just 16 pounds) and 900 cold cranking amps. However, it’s only rated as a “Starting/Cranking” battery because it has no reserve power.
There is no SLI performance variant among Group Size 35 batteries.
OEM vs. Aftermarket: What’s the Difference?
The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) battery is the one your Nissan Altima had in it when it first rolled off the lot. The original battery that came in the 2009 Altima has been discontinued by Nissan. That makes your choice very easy: You’re buying an aftermarket battery!
Since You’re Buying Aftermarket, Here’s What We Recommend
The 2009 Nissan Altima has a lot of electronic features that require a solid deep cycling, dual purpose battery. With that being said, many of the aftermarket batteries in Group Size 35 are not “true” dual purpose batteries. That means these batteries will lose their full charge sooner than expected.
For the best dual purpose performance, we recommend either the NorthStar NSB-AGM35 or the Odyssey Extreme 35-PC1400T. Both of these are “true” dual purpose batteries that provide enough power to run all the features in a 2009 Altima.
The bad news: These are heavy batteries and will cost a bit more than other aftermarket batteries. The NorthStar Group 35 battery weighs 49 pounds and the Odyssey Extreme weighs 50 pounds. Ugh!
The other “dual purpose” batteries in Group 35 will still run your Nissan Altima and are cheaper, but you can expect to replace them more frequently.
