All cars are powered by engines, which generate power by getting extremely hot. Therefore, vehicles have cooling systems in which antifreeze or coolants are run through the engine to cool it down. However, it won’t surprise you to know that not all antifreezes are made equal.
Depending on the car you have and the year it was made, some coolants may work in your vehicle better than others. Regular coolant flushes can be helpful for your automobile, to ensure it runs correctly, but in this review, we attempt to explain the benefits of several different types of antifreeze products available on the market.
This information can come in handy whether you are looking for which coolants you want to keep in your car for emergencies, or which coolants you want the mechanics to use at your next routine service.
Best Antifreeze: How We Chose Our Ratings
Accuracy is extremely important to us.
To ensure that our reviews are as detailed and honest as possible, we dig through many testimonials and customer reviews to gather the most authentic consensus we can find. We also comb through data related to the products we’ve reviewed here (in this case, that was antifreeze and other coolants,) as well as reputations about the brands themselves.
All of these different aspects factor into our rating system. Ranking and evaluating these brands is a task we do not take lightly, as we want our readers to have access to the most complete and accurate information available.
Product |
Image |
Rating |
Price |
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Prestone Dex-Cool |
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Zerex Original Formula Green Coolant |
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Prestone AF2100 Extended Life 50/50 Antifreeze |
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Honda Type 2 Antifreeze Coolant |
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BMW Antifreeze/Coolant |
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Volkswagen Group G13 Coolant Antifreeze |
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Ford Motorcraft Gold Coolant/Antifreeze |
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Top 7 Best Antifreeze Products for Your Car
The following is a list of the 7 best antifreeze and coolant products for your car. We’ve taken several variables into account here, including the price, the use, and the type of car, attempting to find an average list that anyone can follow.
Prestone Dex-Cool
Image Via: Amazon.com
If you have a new car, this is the coolant for you. This antifreeze offers corrosion-protection for aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads, perfect for any cars or trucks made in the ‘90s until today. At $15, this coolant is an excellent option that won’t break the bank.
We’ve put this coolant in the 5/5 star category because it is so flexible. It can be used in almost any car or truck made in the ‘90s until the present day, which means keeping a few bottles of this in your trunk for people pulled over on the side of the road may not be such a bad idea.
Vehicles: Cars and trucks from the ‘90s until today
Pros
- Can be used in almost any car or truck
Cons
- Some reviews say that it gave their car tons of scale
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Zerex Original Formula Green Coolant
Image Via: Amazon.com
If you have an older car or truck, however, you’re going to want to go with Zerex Original Formula. This green coolant is a classic. Almost every vehicle used this coolant until the mid-‘90s when manufacturers changed the type of corrosion they needed to fight.
Cars before the ‘90s usually had to prevent problems with steel, while the ‘90s-produced cars were made more with aluminum. Its $15 price tag, like Dex-Cool, keeps it in the middle of the road. Because this classic coolant can work on almost any vehicle made before the ‘90s, we’ve given it a 5/5 rating for versatility alone.
Vehicles: Cars and trucks from the ‘90s and before
Pros
- Works well for cars that were made in the early to mid-1990’s
Cons
- Some reviews say that it is for older vehicles only
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Prestone AF2100 Extended Life 50/50 Antifreeze
Image Via: Amazon.com
Although it’s not wise to mix coolants, the Prestone brand argues that you can use this antifreeze with any other type of coolant. If you find yourself in a pinch, like on the side of a highway with no gas station in sight, this antifreeze can be the perfect product. Remember that with a 50/50 product, you have to combine half of it with water to ensure it’s not too powerful for your cooling system. We gave this a 4.5/5 rating because of its staggeringly affordable price and its helpfulness in a pinch. However, it’s not an antifreeze you can rely on all the time, and to get the full potential out of it, you probably need to have another bottle of something else on hand.
Vehicles: Any and all, as long as it’s for short-term use
Pros
- Good for 5 years or 150,000 miles
Cons
- It is not phosphate-free
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Honda Type 2 Antifreeze Coolan
Image Via: Amazon.com
Honda decided to craft its own coolant that works best for its car’s engines. While older Hondas can still use the generic ethylene glycol coolant, this antifreeze has been used in almost all Hondas for the past thirty years.
We’ve given it a 4 rating because it lacks the universal appeal of the Dex-Cool and Zerex, whose only limitations are their years. The Honda coolant does, however, work in every Honda ever made, giving it a brand-specific universality. At $22, it’s not as expensive as other brand-specific products, but certainly more expensive than the classic coolants.
Vehicles: All Hondas in the world
Pros
- Honda coolant for a Honda engine, premixed for instant use
Cons
- A little expensive
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
BMW Antifreeze/Coolant
Image Via: Amazon.com
BMW was one of the first automotive companies to engineer coolant specific to their vehicles. Accordingly, using the wrong mix of coolant in a BMW that isn’t made by them, can lead to a number of issues, including premature failure in the system.
At a good price and 4/5 stars, we’ve given this a similar rating as the Honda coolant because of its specificity and perfection for the car brand it was made for. However, don’t expect to buy this as a universal for any car.
Vehicles: All BMWs in the world
Pros
- Contains no nitrates or phosphates, reducing harmful deposit formation
Cons
- It may be nit picky but the container was hard to open and did not seal well
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Volkswagen Group G13 Coolant Antifreeze
Image Via: Amazon.com
Like Honda and BMW, Volkswagen offers its own brand of coolant that works for all of the cars under its umbrella company. These include Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley.
However, we’ve given it 3.5/5 stars because of its hefty price tag and its specificity. Unlike the Ford Gold Coolant, however, Volkswagen’s antifreeze works for any models and not just newer ones.
Vehicles: All Volkswagen and Audi vehicles
Pros
- It contains substances that form a protective coating against corrosion, helping to prevent foaming
Cons
- Some reviews say that it is not pre-mixed
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Ford Motorcraft Gold Coolant/Antifreeze
Image Via: Amazon.com
Instead of the classic green coolant, Ford began to develop a gold coolant in the 2000s. If you own a Ford vehicle produced from 2000-2010, this coolant is perfect for you.
Although the price tag is a little steep, it can make up for it in terms of the quality you’re receiving. The rating of 3/5 stars is because of its specificity. While it works great for specific Ford vehicles from the aughts, keeping this around in every car doesn’t necessarily make sense. Plus, if you run across someone on the highway who needs coolant, this bottle may only work if they too have a Ford.
Vehicles: Specific Fords from 2000-2010
Pros
- Provides year-round antifreeze, anti-boil and corrosion protection
Cons
- Rare product and expensive
QUALITY |
PRICE |
OUR RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Best Antifreeze: Buyer’s Guide
The previous section offers what we believe are the top antifreeze products. However, here are some of the things to keep in mind when making your decision about which products to buy. Additionally, following some of these guidelines can ensure you won’t damage your car when using the products.
Remember the Ratio
Some coolants must be cut 50-50 with water to make sure they work properly. If the ratio’s off, the mixture may be too strong or weak for the car and may cause it to overheat. Other coolants can be used right out of the bottle and don’t need to have any water added to them. Be sure to check which coolant you’re using when you put it in your car.
If No Coolant, Use Water
If you’re on the highway and run out of coolant and you don’t see a gas station anywhere, putting water in your system is better than nothing.
The water can help your car make it until you find a mechanic, repair facility, or gas station where you can top up with coolant. Just remember to take it easy and not go too fast.
Don’t Mix Coolants
Older cars often use a specific type of neon green coolant, which is made with the intention of preventing steel corrosion.
Newer cars don’t need this, as their coolant systems use fluid meant for aluminum and other metallic alloys. If you combine these two types of coolants, your car won’t necessarily break down immediately, but it can cause your cooling system to malfunction eventually.
Best Antifreeze: Final Words
When looking for which coolant you should buy for your vehicle, you’re going to want to look at several points.
Firstly, check whether your car was made in the ‘90s and before, or the ‘90s and after. This determines the generic types of coolant you can purchase. If you have a specific brand, however, like Ford, Volkswagen, or Honda, you may want to use the coolants those companies have produced for their vehicles.
When all is said and done, however, you may want a few different types of coolant in your trunk just in case of emergencies. You may never know who you might run into on the side of the road, and being prepared is always a good thing.
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