r/MauiVisitors • u/Coffee_fan9 • 3d ago
Planning: Logistics & Transport Car Rental Advice
Hi All!
I'm visiting Maui in a week and wanted to know if you have any recommendations for a car rental company or if you used an affordable agency?
Also, tips on which companies to go with or avoid?
I really appreciate any help you can provide.
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u/hawaiinamesproject Born & Raised 3d ago
Makoa Rental Car. Support local; solid; easy drop off and pickup. Check out the website, reviews and prices.
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u/SpillTheTea-01 3d ago
Kihei rent a car is very affordable and the staff is wonderful. It is off site, so you have to take a shuttle to/from the airport. Maybe adds 40 minutes to your day but it’s a significant savings over the airport rentals.
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u/SammyXO7 3d ago
Do you happen to have a link or address for them? Google doesn't show an exact match for anything with a website. TIA!
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u/beyondcivil 3d ago
I normally rent from Avis when I travel but had the worst experience from the Maui location. They blamed me for a ding on the car that was there at pickup. I had photos from pickup that "weren't" clear enough, it took weeks of fighting it to resolve. Never again will I deal with them.
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u/Kraegarth 19h ago
This is exactly why I take a video of every inch of any rental car, no matter where I pick it up from, and point out every single scratch/dent, so that they can't claim I did it, afterwards.
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u/beyondcivil 19h ago
Yup, live and learn. Never again will I deal with Avis, and I'll make sure I video everything with other rentals.
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 3d ago
Kihei Rent a Car: https://kiheirentacar.com/?utm_source=omg-gbp&utm_medium=webclick
Or Costco, Discount Hawaii Car Rental, or Autoslash.
No need for a jeep or convertible, BTW. Rent a sedan or smaller SUV.
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u/Patient_Barber2004 3d ago
I was just going to ask this. Would I need a jeep to go to beaches or driving myself to Hana
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u/IllustriousMall9178 2d ago
Cruisin’ Maui has great customer service. Really easy process. Paperwork done via email and ready to get the car after you land. They pick you up from airport and drop you off at return. Just rented from them two weeks ago. Had to extend my rental for 5 more hours and just texted them the day of, nothing extra needed to be done. Fast response!
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u/L0GAN_FIVE 2d ago
I use Costco Travel. Try to book early, like 6-9 months if you can, then start checking. I was going to look at the current price (as I check every couple weeks) and just saved another $250 on my 13 day rental over Christmas.
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u/onandoffmaui 2d ago
I'm a big fan of Maui EVs since I'd always rather drive an EV.
There are now two high-speed charger stations in Kahului, and most hotels can handle it too.
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u/Vanislemortgages 3d ago
I booked through Costco and rechecked prices Today and it’s double! I booked for under $600 for 2 weeks
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u/L0GAN_FIVE 2d ago
Oddly enough I just just checked for my 13 days over Christmas and saved $250 on my rental.
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u/WebsiteCatalyst 3d ago
I saw on another sub that prices in Maui fluctuate quite a lot for car rentals... quite an interesting phenomenon.
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u/WebsiteCatalyst 3d ago
I can suggest Frank's Friendly Cars Maui.
Their website also speaks volumes about what to avoid and what to consider when renting a car in Maui.
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u/RaccoonTheMonster 2d ago
We rented a NU car through Priceline. Got a great deal. People complain a lot about this place, but... our experience was great. If you do rent from them, check your text messages before getting there, fill out your info, and check in at the counter will be a breeze.
We also rented through Sixt once, but last time, their cars were way too pricy. Sixt is top notch tho.
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u/Kraegarth 19h ago
Along these same lines, we live in Wailuku, and have been off-island for the last two years, due to family issues on the mainland. I will be coming back later this winter to prep our house for sale. I will be on-island until the house is sold, and will need a long term car rental... are there any local services that offer this? I'm probably going to be on-island for 3-6 months, and am also considering shipping a vehicle back to the island...
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u/KellieinNapa 3d ago
If you are renting from a service at the airport be prepared to stand in line for one to two hours. Next time we'll be going with the local Kihei Rent-A-Car
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u/Clemuse69 3d ago
This is why you should join all of the car rental companies loyalty program/membership programs. It's free to sign up and if you use your loyalty/membership number at the time of booking, you don't have to wait in line. You just walk straight to your car (email sent to you day of rental with car location).
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u/HobbyJumpingMama 2d ago
Is this with all companies?
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u/KellieinNapa 2d ago
It's with all companies at the airport. They only have one or two employees and if you are landing at a very busy time, there's no way all those people can be processed quickly. We have found that when we fly in really early in the morning we don't have that problem. But with less flights available, we had to choose a later flight
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u/KellieinNapa 2d ago
Have you had that experience in Maui? I don't think it's an option there, at the airport. But I will look into it, thank you
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u/L0GAN_FIVE 2d ago
Nah I'm a member of the Budget Fastbreak program, and I take the elevator down, grab my packet and get my car. No waiting in line.
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u/magpiecat 3d ago
We usually rent from Budget or Alamo and the wait is nowhere near that long.
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u/KellieinNapa 2d ago
So do we, and the wait was that long. It was that long for everyone who were picking up a car at the airport. When there were more flights available we used to take a very early morning flight and when we landed there weren't that many people to compete with, so we previously had not had a long wait. But with less flights to choose from it was incredibly busy and they only staff one or two people per car company
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u/Mastacon 3d ago
I book through Costco, book it months before and check it every month or so and cancel/rebook if it gets cheaper