October 12, 2025 - This week's Maui car rental price movements confirm a transition from low season to high season level. Prices for all vehicles are now at a substantial premium to their median price throughout the year. The cheapest car from Maui's Kahului airport was $340/week with all taxes and fees. Last minute prices for this week are at a substantial premium over prices booked in advance - another high season indicator. In this week's blog we take a look at current prices and various indicators to see where prices may be headed. Keep reading for all the details.

Fig. 1. Rental car prices in Maui surge upward in October 2025,.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RENT A CAR IN MAUI ON OCTOBER 13, 2025?

Every week, we list the lowest advertised prices for a one-week car rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), for a selection of vehicle categories, with the change from the previous week, and the company offering the best price. This is our overview of Maui car rental prices for the week of October 13, 2025.

Category Price Change Company
Economy $340 9% Thrifty
Midsize $517 42% Hertz
Jeep $699 19% Budget
Convertbl $1,196 0% Payless
SUV $992 65% SiXT
7 St SUV $1,480 105% Budget
Minivan $643 39% Budget

For the week of Monday 10/13/2025, the cheapest rental car from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) is $340/week for one week from Thrifty - that's 9% more than last week. The lowest price for a midsize car is up for the second week in a row, this time by 42% to $61/week, also from Hertz. Jeeps jumped another 19% to $699/week, from Budget. Convertibles, that had surged two weeks in a row, were unchanged this week, at $1,196/week, from Payless. The price for the cheapest SUV jumped, 65% to $992/week, from Sixt. 7-seat SUV's more than doubled, up 105% to $1,480/week, from Budget. Minivans increased 39% to $643/week, from Budget. All prices quoted here include all applicable taxes and fees.

Fig. 2. Comparison of current rental prices to the 52-week median for various car types in Maui, with current premium or discount to median.

HOW DO THIS WEEK'S PRICES COMPARE TO THE 52-WEEK MEDIAN PRICE?

We can gain some insight into the current market conditions by comparing the current price in each vehicle category to its median price over the last 52 weeks.

Vehicle Price Median Premium/Discount
Economy $340 $269 26%
Midsize $517 $340 52%
Jeep $699 $569 23%
Convertbl $1,196 $626 91%
SUV $992 $404 146%
7 st SUV $1,480 $595 149%
Minivan $643 $678 -5%

This week, prices in nearly every vehicle category are at a substantial premium to their median price for the last 52 weeks. This is an indication of high season pricing. In fact prices are at a level not seen since the summer high season in July. This week's prices are about the same as this July's peak summer season prices, and also about the same as the winter high season prices of January and February.

For economy cars, the premium is 26%. For mid-size cars it is 52%. Jeeps are 23% over their median. Convertibles are 91% over - nearly double. Regular SUV's are 146% over their median price - more than double, and 7-seat SUV's are 149% over - also more than double.

Just two weeks ago, all these vehicle prices were at low season levels, at a substantial discount to their 52-week median levels. The shift to high season levels began last week and is confirmed this week.

The only exception to the overall pricing trend is with minivans, priced this week at a 5% discount to their 52-week median price. However, the median price for minivans was pushed up significantly by a summer-time shortage that lasted several weeks, caused by the Chrysler minivan safety recall . This means the 5% discount does not accurately reflect the pricing level for these vehicles.

HOW DO PRICES COMPARE TO ONE YEAR AGO?

We can gain even more insight by comparing today's prices in every vehicle category to the prices from exactly one year ago. The price movements over the last year are illustrated in Figure 1.

Vehicle Now Last Year Change
Economy $340 $369 -8%
Midsize $517 $377 37%
Jeep $699 $586 19%
Convertbl $1,196 $573 109%
SUV $992 $403 146%
7 st SUV $1,480 $575 157%
Minivan $643 $650 -1%

This week's price movement is showing a two-tiered price structure. For economy/compact, midsize, Jeep, and minivan categories, this year's prices are not significantly different than one year ago. However, for convertibles, SUV's and 7-seat SUV's, this week's price is more than double the price 52 weeks ago.

Figure 3. Maui car rental prices for economy/compact cars - last 13 months plus five-week forecast.

MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICE FORECAST FOR OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2025

As of today, October 12, 2025, the lowest advertised prices for a one week rental made in advance, both from the airport rentals and off-airport, are as follows for the dates shown:

DATE OFF-OGG OGG
10/13/25 $234 $340
10/20/25 $239 $270
10/27/25 $165 $230
11/03/25 $306 $294
11/10/25 $197 $362
11/17/25 $182 $299

These advance reservation prices, marked as "Forecast," are illustrated in the area highlighted in Figure 3.

Figure 4. Average car rental costs in Maui from 2013 to 2018 show significant fluctuations, with a notable spikes in late December and mid-February, and a marked increase during the next five-week period highlighted in red.

According to the online reservation systems, prices are showing the possibility of a roller-coaster pattern emerging as we progress through what remains of October and into November. This is strikingly similar to the roller-coaster pattern of the fall season last year, also illustrated on the same chart.

Prices may be about to follow last year's fall roller-coaster ride, with unpredictable surges and dro ps from October through December, leading up to a dramatic Christmas-time surge.

This is in contrast to historical price data, that rise in early October to a steady level they maintain through December, before surging for the Christmas period. This is based on our tracking rental car prices week-by-week for five years from 2013 through 2018. The five-year average prices showing the seasonal variation throughout a year are illustrated in the price chart in Figure 4.

Is a fall roller-coaster the new normal? What factors could be driving this unusual price pattern? These are open questions with no definitive answers at this time.

Figure 5. Price trends for a one-week car rental in Maui from December 2024 to August 2025 show variations based on booking timings: one day, one week, and five weeks in advance.

IS IT CHEAPER TO BOOK IN ADVANCE VS LAST MINUTE?

Beginning in mid-December of 2024, we have tracked the movement of advance booking prices as the reservation date approaches. Every week, we check the price one week out, two weeks out, three weeks out, up to five weeks out, and save the numbers for comparison.

Beginning in mid-February of this year, the prices available one day in advance and one week in advance have been consistently lower than the price five weeks in advance (see figure 5) - these last-minute prices are generally lower than advance prices except in periods of very heavy demand driven by peak travel holidays.

This week, last minute prices are significantly higher than prices booked in advance, This is the second week-in a row that advance bookings are cheaper than last-minute, and the first time since February that last-minute prices are significantly higher than advance reservation prices.

Fig. 6. The cost for tomorrow's rental booked in advance has increased as the rental date approaches, both for airport rentals and off-airport rentals. .

HOW HAVE PRICE CHANGED FOR TOMORROW'S RENTAL?

The progression of advance reservation prices for a one week rental starting tomorrow, October 13, is illustrated in the price chart in Figure 6.

Off-OGG OGG Days in Advance
$234.00 $340.00 1 (last-minute)
$198.00 $239.00 8 (one week)
$165.00 $242.00 15 (two weeks)
$165.00 $223.00 22 (three weeks)
$168.00 $223.00 29 (four weeks)
$178.00 $246.00 36 (five weeks)

The price for a rental from the airport starting tomorrow had been increasing steadily over the last three weeks, For off-airport rentals, the cost of tomorrow's rental increased by 31% over the last five weeks. The cost of a rental from the airport increased by 38%. Travelers who booked in advance saved money over those who waited to book closer to their travel date.

The reversal of last-minute costs versus advance reservation costs is typical of high-season pricing levels. Typically this reversal is short-lived and returns to the more frequent pattern of cheaper last-minute prices that holds through more than 80% of the year. .

SUMMARY OF THIS WEEK'S MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICING ACTION

As of October 12, 2025, Maui car rental prices have definitely shifted from low-season levels to high season levels. This increase is typical as the fall travel season kicks into gear. Prices are now at high season levels comparable to the summer high season and the winter high season (excluding the holidays). The increase took place over the course of the last two weeks. Confirming this transition, last-minute prices are higher than advance prices. Advance reservation systems are showing the possibility of some price volatility over the next few weeks, which would be consistent with last years' fall roller-coaster of prices throughout the fall season. Which way will prices go this fall? Will they remain at a high season level throughout, or will they show the same volatile week-to-week price swings we saw last year? We live in exciting and unpredictable times.

Fig. 7. Price of one-week car rental in Maui, comparing off-airport locations with airport locations for popular vehicle types.

DOES IT COST LESS TO RENT OFF-AIRPORT?

The airport vs. off-airport prices for this week are illustrated in Figure 7.

By conventional wisdom, airport prices are expected to be higher than off-airport prices due to higher airport taxes and fees and a convenience premium. 

This week, off-airport prices are substantially lower than the airport in only two categories, economy/compact cars, and minivans. For mid-size cars and SUV's, off-airport prices are substantially the same as airport prices. For Jeeps, the off-airport price is higher. For convertibles and 7-seat SUV's, no off-airport availability is reported at any location.

These prices are from our survey taken on 10/12/25, for a one-week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), beginning on Monday, 10/13/25, for seven vehicle categories, Economy/compact Car, Midsize Car, Convertible, Jeep, SUV, 7-passenger SUV, and Minivan. The rental companies covered in the survey are Ace, Alamo, Allsave, 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 .

This week's airport vs. off-airport picture is consistent with the long term picture we've observed over the past year. More details on this below.

LONG-TERM ANALYSIS OF AIRPORT VERSUS OFF-AIRPORT PRICES

Note: This is a preview of an analysis that will be presented in more detail in another separate article.

We have completed a long-term comparison of airport prices versus off-airport prices. In every vehicle category, we've compared the the median price over 52-weeks for vehicles rented at the airport to vehicles rented off-airport. The most striking finding of this analysis is that the difference between airport prices and off-airport prices is not consistent over all vehicle types - it varies widely between different vehicles. For economy/compact, regular SUV, and minivan, the off-airport prices is lower, as one would expect. However, for mid-size cars, the price is about the same. And For Jeeps, Convertibles, and 7-seat SUV's. the airport price is lower!

OGG Off-OGG Savings/Premium
Economy $269.00 $216.50 20%
Midsize $340.00 $324.00 5%
Jeep $569.00 $651.50 -14%
Convertbl $626.00 $715.00 -14%
SUV $404.00 $346.00 14%
7 st SUV $595.00 $857.00 -44%
Minivan $678.00 $476.00 30%

As can be seen from the chart in Figure 7 and the accompanying table, on average over the course of the last 52 weeks from October 12, 2024 to October 13, 2025, the price of a compact car off-airport is 20% less than the airport price. For a regular SUV you save 14% off-airport. For a minivan, the savings is 30%. For a mid-size car, renting off-airport saved only 5% on average over the last 52 weeks. But for a convertible or a Jeep, it cost 14% more to rent off-airport, And for a 7-seat SUV, the off-airport cost is 44% higher. Note that for these three categories, Jeep, convertible, and 7-seat SUV, it is frequently the case that there is no off-airport availability at all. making the airport cost the only option.

IS MAUI THE MOST EXPENSIVE HAWAIIAN ISLAND FOR CAR RENTAL?

Here's a quick survey of the cheapest one-week rental cost from each of the five major Hawaii airports, for a rental beginning on Monday, October 13.

COST CHANGE AIRPORT
$248 +7% Honolulu (HNL)
$268 -19% Maui Kahului Airport (OGG)
$474 +23% Kauai Lihue Airport (LIH)
$264 -53% Kona Airport (KOA)
$247 -46% Hilo Airport (ITO)

This week prices for car rentals at the major airports in Hawaii are mixed, with some going up and some going down compared to last week. Prices for Honolulu, Maui, Kona, and Hilo, are clustered close together, with Kauai's Lihue an outlier significantly higher than the four others. With these price movements, Maui is the fourth cheapest, an unusual position, considering that previous to this week Maui had been the cheapest for 21 out of 27 weeks and the second cheapest for the other six.

HOW DO WE GET OUR MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICE DATA?

Prices for Maui car rentals vary from week to week, and the company offering the lowest price also changes from week to week. Furthermore, one company may be offering the lowest price in one vehicle category, for example mid-size cars, while a different company has a better price on another category, for example mini-vans.

Beginning in July 2024, we've tracked the prices on seven vehicle categories - compact, mid-size, Jeep, convertible, SUV, 7-seat SUV, and minivan - from 10 different companies at Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG): Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, SiXT, and Thrifty. Each week, for every vehicle type, we noted which company offered the lowest price. Our weekly price-tracking for the lowest price economy car category goes back to July 2023 - more than one year. These are the data for the charts we post every week.

Previously we conducted a five-year price-tracking study for the lowest price economy car category beginning in February 2013 and continuing to February 2018. A sample of these results is in Figure 3, that shows the five-year average of the price over a one-year duration. For details of this massive price-tracking undertaking, and the most important findings on how and when to rent a car, see our blog post of July 14, 2024 titled "When is the best time to rent 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.

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Frank Saab is the editor of this blog published by Frank's Friendly Cars Maui Car Rental LLC, an independent car rental company operating in Maui, Hawaii, since 2006. Frank's offers low prices on used local cars and discount prices on new cars, with a "Lowest Price Guarantee" that assures you of getting the best deal on your rental. Visit our website at www.mauicarrental.biz, or call us at 808-280-1196.

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