The Exide in my Saab is not like the ones you'll find for sale in North America. It is very obviously a different design, made in a different plant, with a different case, handles, etc.
Despite that, the Saab 93 forum is full of reports of premature battery failure...although mine has just turned 3 years old and still passes a CCA/load test.
I did a capacity test on it using an inverter and a Dell PC (basically I timed how long the Dell PC ran before the inverter shut off due to low battery). The Dell ran for half the time that it should have given the 70 amp-hour capacity of the battery and the measured current draw of the inverter.
I should note that I did a similar test with an 85 amp-hour deep cycle marine battery, and that one failed the test too(running the Dell for half as long as it should have), but still passed a CCA/load test (Midtronics Incharge tester). I returned the deep cycle battery back to Costco and the replacement powered the Dell for exactly as long as I calculated that it should. So, based on my experience, it's very possible for a battery with capacity loss to pass a CCA/load test..and my Exide battery has about half the capacity in amp-hours that it should.
Still, it starts the engine every time, and passes load tests. As soon as it no longer does, assuming it fails before the end of the B2B warranty, I'll get the dealer to replace it under the B2B warranty.
If not, I'll likely get an Advance Auto Autocraft battery, seeing as how neither WalMart nor Costco stock group 48 batteries anymore. (I'd get a Costco if they did, but they don't).
