Currently using the Motorcraft and I'm not impressed. I replaced the battery last November and I need a new one already.
I noticed the Optima batteries wont work for the 2012? They state wont fit without modification.
My OEM lasted about 6 years, it ended up being a failing alternator that did it in. Only reason I figured out it was failing, the Duralast Gold I replaced it with failed about 4-5 months later. Ended up replacing the alternator with a 200A crown vic police interceptor alternator (Mitsubishi, ironically). The death of multiple batteries in a short time frame usually isn't a coincidence. I would do the warranty and scrutinize the new battery over the next several months (meter the battery, keep a log). May not hurt to do a draw test while you're at it, see what the static draw is.
I took the duralast in under warranty and they let me apply it to an optima red top. They're nice batteries, but for the money there's still better. I will give the red top a lot of credit, it took some serious abuse and never failed. Got stuck in California on vacation with a tune issue. Decided to switch to an (at the time) un-finished E-85 tune and accidently flooded the engine. I didn't have time (or the tools) to pull the plugs and let it sit, and it wasn't safe to roll it down a hill for the good 'ol rolling start (*SMH w/*facepalm). I knew it was flooded because that was the unfinished issue we were having. Having removed the check valve from the returnless fuel line, the tuner was having issues getting start-up fueling right on E-85. It was up to me to time the pump priming cycle right to kick the engine over, most of the time I'd get it perfect. I failed that time, badly. In the end, I had to sit in the hotel parking lot cranking and sputtering the engine for at least 5-10 minutes. WOT to kill the injectors and hopefully clear the cylinders, every once in a while it would sputter like it was going to turn over so I'd let off WOT and it'd flood out again. When it finally did fire, it let a nice flame out the tail pipes letting everyone know the big pile of Ford was finally leaving, lol. Girlfriend remained in the hotel room, ashamed to be seen with the struggling S197.
But that red top endured almost 10 minutes of on/off cranking (so did the factory starter!). With the battery relocated to the trunk, I thought for sure just the distance draw would kill it. Glad I did hardwire stranded cable and not automotive grade.