September 23, 2022 by Beat of Hawaii 6 Comments

There’s no doubt that Hawaii still has some of the higher-priced car rentals in the US. But from what you’re about to read, the islands are doing far better overall in rental car prices.

There’s still work you need to do to get the right vehicle at the right price. See our latest price checks of Hawaii car rentals for both low and high seasons through summer 2023, followed by our tips on how to score the best deals.

We’d like to forget about those entirely. Now at least, availability is excellent and daily rates have declined tremendously. Maui and Honolulu have seen prices drop by more than 50% since their peak. Only Kauai tends to have higher rates for unknown reasons. There is an enormous lot of rental cars sitting parked just beside Lihue Airport. Not only on Kauai but statewide, inventories at the car rental companies are largely recovered after the companies sold off and relocated their fleets outside of Hawaii.

Turo took off big in Hawaii after Covid decimated the big car rental companies. Before they could re-fleeting, locals offered their cars on Turo. Now the car rental companies have been able to move into a position to control prices better and put a big squeeze on Turo and its car owners.

Based on our latest checking today, it appears that, in most cases, we can continue to expect to pay at least $60 per day or more for Hawaii car rentals. And at the holidays and in the peak of summer, agencies are hoping to keep prices significantly higher. So while prices for Hawaii car rentals have moderated, it still looks like car rentals will continue to cost more than your flights to Hawaii. And that isn’t going to change.

With car rentals now the second-largest expense for most Hawaii vacations, figure out the costs in advance and make reservations that can be changed or canceled without cost. By the way, the great expense in Hawaii travel is accommodations, and the third is now airfare to Hawaii. Below you’ll find our best suggestions, from a local Hawaii perspective.

Hawaii car rental prices were already escalating even before inventory, chip, Covid, and other issues. Nearly 95% of the car rental market is controlled by just three companies, even though they market cars through multiple brands, giving the illusion of competition. Enterprise includes National and Alamo, Hertz includes Thrifty and Dollar, and Avis includes Budget.

In addition to high base rates, there are the following additional mandatory fees and taxes. General excise tax (varies by island) up to 4.71%. State motor vehicle $5/day. Vehicle registration up to $1.45/day. Customer facility charge $4.50/day. The airport concession fee is 11.1%.

Turo is by far the largest peer-to-peer car rental company, much like Airbnb is for vacation rentals. It has a fleet of more than a half-million vehicles and is a fast-growing multi-billion dollar company. Turo makes money by getting a share from car rental hosts and renters. Turo says hosts earn from 60-90% of bookings, depending on the insurance options they select.

Much as happened with Airbnb, Turo is no longer just about individuals renting their one extra car or vacation rental in Airbnb’s case. It has become a way for individuals to build Hawaii car rental businesses of their own. And Turo said that such fleet owners can net over $10,000 per year per car. We question whether that is still the case.

Have a look at upcoming Hawaii car rental prices below to get an idea of whether Turo may work for you. And please let us know your thoughts and plans.

With Turo, in theory, the car owner and Turo make money and the renter saves money. One big plus is that Turo offers insurance from Liberty Mutual both for the owner and the renter, providing some level of available comfort for all. You should check, however, with your insurance company regarding Turo rentals. As we pointed out when editor Jeff checked he was told that his insurance covered Turo rentals, but not Craigslist car rentals.

Estimated prices for a 7-day rental . Below are the best prices we found today when checking all of the major car rental companies and Turo. Since these prices change frequently, they best serve as a guide to approximately what prices you can expect to find.

Know your insurance needs before you get to the car rental counter .

Additional driver and underage fees add up and can be confusing .

Fees vary widely by company and rental location. If more than one driver is on the rental agreement, inquire when making the reservation. Costco rentals include a second driver. Many companies include spouses or business partners automatically. But work through this in advance to avoid a surprise of perhaps $10/day. We recently saw a couple with a 24-year-old driver assessed a $25/day fee for being under 25, so it pays to check and be prepared.

Car sizes, upgrades, and pre-payment options .

Join the rental company’s frequent renter program .

Determine the grace period of the contract .

Is the price the total price ?

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Mahalo! I always start looking during summer, to get an idea for our February trips. A few weeks ago I checked Discount Hawai’i Rental Car, which I always use & feel have great service/prices, & one week was approx. $850 & this morning it was $700. I expect the price to get closer to what we can afford, and normally pay. If not we’ll ride a bus since Maui now provides island wide bussing; nearly 20 years ago they didn’t offer but have improved services since. Again, Mahalo!

I also use AMEX premium car rental policy – enrollment required. Primary coverage for a flat 17.95 for the rental period (not per day) less than 30 days I think. Use your own insurance for liability. and skip the rental car insurance ripoff. CapitalOne VentureX also offers primary coverage – check any premium credit cards you may have for their coverage. Do NOT pre-pay. Life throws too many curves and lower rates may become available the closer you get to travel dates. If you have a Business travel credit card, it may Not cover you on a personal trip or coverage may drop to secondary. Renting some kind of specialized vehicle, not all insurance may cover it. Some credit cards have dropped rental car benefits so look at current benefit

Thank you for this rental car article. We are planning a trip end of March into April next year on Kauai. Do any readers here have experience with Discount Hawaii Car Rental? It looks like the best prices for us.

Would it be feasible, legal, and desirable for the big 3 companies to have agreements with Turo renters to supplement the Big 3 inventory? But, at Turo prices.

Consider whether there will be multiple drivers – Costco + DiscountHawaii include more than 1 driver, last time I checked. Also check the airline you are traveling with. I am booked for Nov 2022 and AlaskaAir has the best rate so far – about 700 compared to 1000+ elsewhere. On the Big Island there are horror stories of standing in line to get processed and then another line to get a car at the Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar building. I decided to pay about $75 more for a 2 week rental with Alamo to hopefully avoid the long line. Who wants to wait in the heat for 3 hrs to get a car? I found Turo prices were about the same when I last looked – and I’m checking every couple of days (as I always had).

What is your experience with Turo. Are the people in Hawaii reliable?

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