January 5, 2025 - The holiday peak travel period for Maui is over and prices for rental cars have eased off from their all-time record high levels of the last two weeks. Prices remain at high season levels that are higher than the median price for the year - but at least the cost to rent a car for a week is in the hundreds of dollars rather than the thousands of dollars as it was last week. Prices for most vehicle types are down between 80% and 90% from last week, only a fraction of their previous level.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RENT A CAR THIS WEEK?

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.

Category Price Change Company
Economy $403 -80% SiXT
Midsize $455 -84% Thrifty
Jeep $741 -84% Dollar
Convertbl $909 -78% Alamo
SUV $465 -90% Thrifty
7 St SUV $522 -86% Thrifty
Minivan $863 -80% Budget

Fig. 1. Rental car prices in Maui are only a fraction of the record high levels reached during the holidays.

This week, the lowest price for renting a car from OGG for one week is $403/week from SiXT, down 80% from last week. A midsize car is $455/week from Thrifty , down 84% from last week. A Jeep is $741/week from Dollar, down 84%. Convertibles are $909/week from Alamo, down 78% SUV's are $465/week from Thrifty, down 90%. 7-seat SUV's are $522/week from Thrifty, down 86%, and minivans are $863/week from Budget, down 80%.

WHERE DO MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICES GO FROM HERE?

The peak in rental car prices during this holiday period was typical of the price pattern in most years. Previously we conducted a five-year study of Maui car rental prices between 2013 and 2019. The lowest advertised price of a one-week rental averaged over this five-year period is illustrated in Figure 2. Over the five-year period or our study, it was normal to expect a sharp rise in the rental price in the weeks immediately before and after the Christmas holidays, with the prices dropping immediately after the holidays. The portion of the chart highlighted in red is the five-week period that comes right after the holidays. During this period, rates are expected to drop back down to levels that are closer to the median for the year.

Fig. 2. Maui Car Rental Prices: A Historical price trend for one-week rentals highlights a significant price spike for the holidays, followed by a steep decline.

For the coming weeks, online reservation systems are showing advance reservation prices at high season levels higher than the median price for the year but significantly lower than the holiday peak prices (see Figure 3). This pattern is consistent with the price pattern from the five-year average in Figure 2.

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

DATE OFF-OGG OGG
01/06/25 $555 $403
01/15/25 $582 $487
01/20/25 $474 $621
01/27/25 $466 $622
02/03/25 $466 $718
02/10/25 $474 $712

Fig. 3. Maui car rental prices from the last 13 months with forecast of the coming five weeks

These advance reservation prices, marked as "Forecast," are illustrated in Figure 3. The coming five-week period for the forecast and the corresponding five-week period from one year ago are both highlighted in red.

DOES IT COST LESS TO RENT OFF-AIRPORT?

Normally, off-airport prices are lower than airport prices due to a number of factors that we have covered in a previous blog post, titled "Is It Cheaper to Rent a Car at the Airport in Maui? Updated for 2024." However, this week, the airport price is higher than off-airport for nearly all vehicle categories, with no availability at all reported off-airport for Jeeps, 7-seat SUV's or Minivans (See Figure 4).

This week's reversal of the expected price pattern is likely because off-airport locations, that are smaller than airport locations and have a smaller inventory of cars, are low on availability during the high season.

Fig. 4. Maui car rental prices compared - Airport vs. off-airport, for seven vehicle types.

Anyone hoping to save money by renting off-airport may be disappointed in the coming weeks of peak rental demand.

These prices are from our survey taken on 1/5/25, for a one-week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), beginning on Monday, 1/6/25, 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. 

As we've noted in previous blog posts, the price for an off-airport rental is usually lower than an airport rental, due to two factors:

1. Higher mandatory taxes and fees that are added to the cost of an airport rental, and
2. A discretionary "convenience premium" that rental companies charge at the airport. For details, see for example Is It Cheaper to Rent a Car at the Airport in Maui? Updated for 2024.

Exceptions do occur from time to time and we do report them when they do. 

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.

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