October 13, 2024 - Maui car rental prices for a one week rental are up from last week for nearly all vehicle categories except convertibles and SUV's (see Figure 1).

Below, we list the cheapest one week rental prices for each vehicle type, with the change from the previous week:

Category Price Change
Economy $369 +$43
Midsize $377 +$40
Jeep $586 +$58
Convertbl $573 -$128
SUV $403 -$18
7 St SUV $575 +$104
Minivan $650 +$117

The best price for an economy car is $369/week from SiXT. For a midsize car, it's $377/week, also from SiXT. The best deal on a Jeep is $586/week from Budget. For a convertible $573 from Alamo, with $403 for an SUV from SiXT, and $650 is the best deal on a minivan, from Payless.

These prices apply for the cost of a one-week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), beginning on Monday, October 14. The price includes all taxes and fees, but does not include optional items like supplemental liability insurance, collision and comprehensive, roadside assistance, and so on.

Prices have transitioned into the fall season range, that should last through the month of October. This increase is expected according to our seasonal pricing model which is based on a multi-year analysis of seasonality of Maui car rental prices and their correlation with visitor arrival numbers. We covered this analysis in previous blog posts.

AIRPORT PRICES VS. OFF-AIRPORT

The prices listed above are all for rentals from the airport. Usually, cheaper prices are available for rentals from nearby off-airport locations served by shuttle. This week, this holds true for all but one category, Jeeps, that has a higher price off-airport. See Figure 2 for a comparison of this week's airport prices versus off-airport. For all other categories, where both options were available, Economy, midsize, SUV, and minivan, the airport price was higher.

We've covered the reasons for higher airport prices, including the additional taxes and fees and the "convenience premium" that rental companies charge, in a previous blog post comparing airport prices with off-airport prices. However, when prices go against the establishe d trends, the reasons are not well understood.

These prices are from our survey taken on 10/13/24, for a one-week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), beginning on Monday, 10/14/24, for seven vehicle categories, Economy Car, Midsize Car, Convertible, Jeep, SUV, 7-passenger SUV, and Minivan. The rental companies covered in the survey are Ace, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, NU, Payless, SiXT, and Thrifty. For more info on the companies we cover, see our blog post on customer satisfaction ratings for these Maui car rental companies. 

CHEAPEST ONE-WEEK RENTAL PRICES FOR MONDAY 10/14/24

This week the cheapest price for a one week car rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) is $369 (up $43 from last week). For a rental from nearby off-airport locations served by shuttle, the cheapest price is $273 (up $7). These prices include all taxes and fees, but they do not include insurance or any other optional add-ons like roadside assistance or re-fueling.

Prices for both airport and off-airport prices have been on an increasing trend for the last five weeks (see the highlighted area of Figure 3). In this chart, we've tracked the lowest advertised price week-by-week for the last year. Prices are now solidly above the median price for the year, which as of this date is $276/week for airport rentals and $205/week for off-airport locations served by shuttle from the airport. Prices above the median are an indication of a transition from low-season discount pricing to stronger seasonal pricing.

MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICES ARE UP FROM ONE YEAR AGO

Prices are up significantly from the levels one year ago levels. In fall 2023, visitor arrivals to Maui dropped sharply after the Lahaina wildfire disaster of August 2023, and this led to a collapse in rental car prices, down to levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. Here's a comparison of the lowest advertised price for a one-week rental from one year ago versus this week:

OGG Off-OGG
One Year Ago $212 $169
This Week $369 $273
Change +$157 +$104
% +74% +62%

The price for the cheapest one-week rental from the airport is up 74% from one year ago. Off-airport is up 62%. These increases are partly the result of more visitor arrivals compared to last year, reflecting a partial recovery in travel to Maui in the wake of the wildfires. Another factor contributing to the increase in price from one year ago is limited stock, as rental car companies have adjusted their inventories downward, in anticipation of weaker travel, limiting supply and propping up prices.

We collect Maui car rental price data as part of our weekly survey of car rental prices for a one-week rental. Every Sunday, we check prices for a one-week rental beginning the following day, Monday. The lowest advertised rate week by week for the entire last year is shown in the accompanying chart (Figure 3), for both airport and off-airport categories.

Usually, more than 90% of the time, this last-minute price is the lowest available price for the rental, lower than a price booked in advance. See our research on When is The Best Time to Book a Car in Maui. 

HOW TO CHECK RATES AND AVAILABILITY FOR MAUI CAR RENTAL

Either click through to to our Cars & Rates section, or check our booking site at rentals.mauicarrental.biz. This site gives you access to all vehicles from eight different companies - Ace, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Payless, and Thrifty - at all their Maui locations, that include the Airport rentacar center, Kahului town locations nearby the airport, and resort locations in Kihei/Wailea, and Ka'anapali. With so many options to choose from, you are assured to find the rental car that matches your preferences and your budget for your Maui trip - and there is never a cancellation penalty if you have to change plans.

Price Data Sources: rentalcars.com, rentals.mauicarrental.biz