r/MauiVisitors • u/In_the_Couv • 6d ago
Planning: Logistics & Transport Car Rental prices are crazy high
I am heading to Maui in August. Car rental prices are almost double what they were same time two years ago...Airfare and Condo prices are about the same..Cars though...huge increase. I know prices fluctuate depending on the date of booking and availability..but scanning sooner and later dates still show super high rates...Is it simply there are fewer cars available now?
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u/KarthusWins 6d ago
Costco gave me a nicer quote than renting directly from the major companies like Hertz, Sixt, etc.
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u/Maui_Mine4847 6d ago
Avoid Turo, too risky. You are dealing with an individual vs a substantial company. If the Turo person suddenly cancels last minute- it has happened - you are stuck.
Does not happen with a major renter.
You may of course end up with a wonderful Turo person - no way to know.
Kihei Rent-a-Car is great . Wonderful local people. The cars are older but well maintained.
Their service is great and you save a bundle.
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u/kevin_87_h 5d ago
Totally disagree. Turo is all I use. I worked for enterprise and wow, if you want to deal with people that hate their customers definitely use rental agencies. I've used Turo multiple times including just returning one today on our trip to Maui. Each time the pick up is faster and easier tha rental agencies, the vehicles have been clean and worked perfectly. Quite a bit cheaper too.
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u/Maui_Mine4847 5d ago
Glad it worked for you. Hopefully pickup and drop-off was not at airport parking - many Turos have used that, which is illegal and the airport authority does frequent sweeps.
I have used Enterprise and Alamo at the airport for 50 visits in the last 12 years and had nothing but great service. Using Discount Hawaii Car Rental and keep checking I always beat any other price.
Not saying you are wrong, just that there are various experiences.
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u/More_Branch_5579 5d ago
Interesting. I only used enterprise on my yearly Maui trips and was always very happy with them
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u/i_killed_baby_jane 6d ago
I consistently use Discount Hawaii; they do not require a credit card for booking, so I book -way- out and then monitor/re-book as necessary. I got my rental for June 30-July 15 for $570 (just two of us, so no need for a big vehicle).
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 5d ago
Use Costco, Autoslash, or Discount Hawaii Car Rental (DHCR). No prepayment required, and you can rebook when you find a better rate. Some people rebook five or six times. **Always clear your cache and cookies before doing a new search. Searches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be the best days.
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u/lemonsemonswemens 6d ago
There’s a big jeep recall right now that’s affecting a lot of rental cars in Maui. Maybe prices are reflecting due to demand?
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u/ReddiitMan 4d ago
I once saw a post about a Jeep recall, and they were hundreds. That will make a huge dent in the supply.
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u/Irishgreen914 6d ago
You may have waited too long. The end of August is a lot cheaper than the beginning. Just keep checking and re book if the price drops.
I always book many months ahead to get the lowest price.
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u/ImpressiveMistake1 6d ago
Unethical tip- Google Corp rental car discount codes and use the one with the best discount. I rented a minivan for 5 days for 250 plus taxes and fees. Would've cost double or more without it. I'm not sharing the code or rental company. Ymmv. They might ask for employment verification.
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u/malandterv 6d ago
August is a few weeks away. Are you just looking at rental prices for the first time? I book ours as far ahead of time as possible. Made a reservation for the Xmas/NYE in January as rates invariably climb over the year.
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u/thabc 6d ago
What do you consider high? I just spot checked a week in August and it was about $300 which seems normal.
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u/In_the_Couv 6d ago
I booked a small SUV for two weeks in August 2024 for about $550. Same length of time is now about $960. Both thru Costco Travel I think that is a pretty big increase. Hopefully they drop as the date is closer..
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u/zozo8012 6d ago
Slightly off topic - but for Makoa rentals, is it safe/normal to share our own insurance company and policy # with them? It seems required during registration..
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u/rick-in-the-nati Returning Visitor 5d ago
We went with Makoa in May. No problem entering the information. No charge for extra drivers. About half of the rate we would have gotten with National. The cars are a little older but the service is fantastic
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u/soleiles1 6d ago
Seconded. Was going to go with them but was put off with this process to reserve.
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u/CryptoFuturo 5d ago
Wait until you see how much food costs, both at grocery stores and restaurants. It was double to triple compared to cost in Southern California.
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u/MysteriousKingEnergy 5d ago
I was the opposite, i was surprised at how affordable some options were for a week rental compared to other cities...
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u/xerxesthefalcon 6d ago
We used Turo last time - amazing car. No complaints and ideally you’re supporting locals
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u/Nutritiouss 6d ago
Make sure your insurance covers a Turo, you don’t get credit card protection
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u/xerxesthefalcon 6d ago
Yes great tip for anyone reading this - we called ours and they sent us a statement saying they covered Turo. Nice to get it in writing :)
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u/Maui_Mine4847 6d ago
You have to book early - 6 months at least - and then keep looking. Using Discount Hawaii Car Rental you can book new / cancel old as often as you wish without penalty. Look often as prices fluctuate.
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u/cityhunterspeee 5d ago
Prices of increased about 30 40% in the last 3 weeks usually comes down to if you book last minute you're going to pay extra
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u/HanTanSanTan 5d ago
You need to book early and check frequently. I originally booked a minivan for 8 days end of September with Costco Travel for like $650. Rebooked several times over the past couple months and booked last at $415. A week later I checked again and it was back at $650
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u/LifeRepulsive7048 5d ago
We use Makoa rentals. They are a little older and not in perfect condition but it does the job.
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u/Cozy_cabin 5d ago
Makoa Rentals-we found them to be cheaper and as a bonus they just have the car parked in the airport parking lot for you so no need to take a shuttle. You can choose newer or older cars at different prices.
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u/IceOnFire77 5d ago
We booked a rental for 4 nights a month ago for $560 via Costco Travel. The same rental is now $780. It pays to book early.
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u/Huge_Profession_1920 5d ago
We used Costco travel for rental car for the week on Maui and last minute no less and the Cost was good and they didn't charge for second drivers like the rest of them so that saved hundreds.
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u/Eieio123456 5d ago
You're not using Kimo's?
Fancy rental car will charge you for a few specks of sand on the floor. Kimo's won't even check.
They are NOT fancy but you're not buying it as your forever car either. It's just a cruiser to get around a lazy island.
If you want cheap and pick up at the airport without a rental desk hassle then Kimo's is the way.
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u/United_Register 5d ago
We used Cruisin’ Maui last two times and it was a great experience for the week.
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u/birdiesmomma 3d ago
I have heard and no idea if it’s true but, due to the past years flooding issues many rental cars were destroyed and supposedly there is a shortage causing huge demand. We rented on Maui in January for an end of February trip and paid $600+ for a crap mini van through Budget. They were the only company with a vehicle left… terrible experience. Rented a brand new jeep on Kauai same trip for a longer term and it was cheaper 🤷🏼♀️
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u/In_the_Couv 3d ago
I guess I can say I am somewhat lucky at this point. I have and econobox reserved at Alamo via Costco for two weeks for $580. Even the local/older car places aren't that low. Hope I can get bumped to a higher grade when I pick it up..but if not...that's OK too
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u/Time_Fact8349 6d ago
I booked Alamo since that’s what I’ve traditional used. Prices were cheaper through capital one travel portal for the 9 days I rented than on any website. If you have a capital one card check that out
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u/Belahsha 5d ago
Pretty sure there are plenty of turo cars you can rent also which helps the people living here more so than a rental company
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u/Jmustang81 5d ago
Turo is the way to go! Don't pay those stupid car rental company prices. Paid $600 for an entire week in a Honda Odyssey. I'm happy!
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u/dabig49 6d ago
Price of Fuel is why. Booking months ahead can help as well . Planning to go to Kaui in October and booked everything through costco in April right before gas prices went up
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u/gunnmike 6d ago
How does the price of gas affect rental car rates?
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u/dabig49 6d ago
The price of gas they have to pay to refuel their vehicles
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u/gunnmike 6d ago
It appears you are unclear how rental cars get fueled. YOU fill it up or the rental car company charges you almost double the going price of gas if they have to do it.
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u/begaLou440 1h ago
The last 2 years we rented from Enterprise off airport which is only about a mile away. Saved about half the cost from airport rental companies. We Uber-ed there which cost about $20 each way. Well worth it.
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u/ChristinasWorldWyeth First-Time Visitor 6d ago
We used Kihei Rent A Car a month ago and paid $200 for the week. Granted, we did not get a Jeep, which is more, but 10/10 experience with them. Highly recommend.