Maui Car Rental

[VictorB]

Will be at MOC in late August next year. Looking for a reasonable Standard sized car and rates (Costco, AARP, Priceline, etc.) seem to be hovering around $420 (fees and taxes included). Any cheaper and reliable rental car suggestions?

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Make a reservation at the best price then track it on Autoslash.com. Check out TUG threads on how it works.

 

[mjm1]

Keep checking Costcotravel for changes, but also check Auto slash. We usually use Costco, but autoslash was better for our recent trip to Maui. We ended up with a standard size car from Thrifty and everything went very smoothly.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[VictorB]

Thanks, good advice

 

[Luanne]

Keep checking Costcotravel for changes, but also check Auto slash. We usually use Costco, but autoslash was better for our recent trip to Maui. We ended up with a standard size car from Thrifty and everything went very smoothly.

Best regards.

Mike

If you register your rental with AutoSlash you don't need to keep checking Costco. And once it's registered to be tracked you don't need to keep checking AutoSlash either. They will do the checking for you and notify you when they find a lower price.

 

[drlee]

You also may have access to your company's discount, which is often made available for employees' leisure use. Otherwise carefully consider if you actually need a vehicle for your entire visit. We rent a car to get to the resort after visiting Costco and Safeway, Then we turn it in, and rent for a day if we need to go somewhere. Maui bus is $2 per trip, Uber is cheap and plentiful. A day rental (one way) is about $60, lea

 

[bobpark56]

Consider renting off-airport. It's only a $10 taxi ride to Enterprise, for example. We did that in Sept for an 18-day rental and saved beaucoup $...and received an upgraded vehicle. We have another such booking for next May...both arranged through Costco. One catch...you need to arrive at their office before 5 pm.

 

[Luanne]

You also may have access to your company's discount, which is often made available for employees' leisure use. Otherwise carefully consider if you actually need a vehicle for your entire visit. We rent a car to get to the resort after visiting Costco and Safeway, Then we turn it in, and rent for a day if we need to go somewhere. Maui bus is $2 per trip, Uber is cheap and plentiful. A day rental (one way) is about $60, lea

I can't imagine going to Maui without a car. But from where we stay in Kihei we pretty much use a car to get everywhere. The beach we like is a drive, most of the restaurants are a drive, to get groceries is a drive. Parking is free at our timeshare. If we have the car available we don't have to make arrangements to rent for the one, or two days we want, take the time to pick it up, return it, etc.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

I previously wrote to you about Priceline in a different thread. I am in Maui the same week as you and I have booked an SUV for $232 for the week. Just checked Priceline again and standard/large is going for $208 for the week.

 

[PeteBob]

Will be at MOC in late August next year. Looking for a reasonable Standard sized car and rates (Costco, AARP, Priceline, etc.) seem to be hovering around $420 (fees and taxes included). Any cheaper and reliable rental car suggestions?

I rented from Hertz in August. Cost was $482.88 which breaks down to $305 for 12 days in a "D" class car, plus $123 in taxes/fees. I was upgraded to a G class car at no additional cost.

 

[VicB]

I previously wrote to you about Priceline in a different thread. I am in Maui the same week as you and I have booked an SUV for $232 for the week. Just checked Priceline again and standard/large is going for $208 for the week.

It must be because we are traveling late August - Priceline now showing $360 for a premium car

 

[bobpark56]

If you are arriving before 4pm or so, check to off-airport rental possibilities. We rented off-airport at Enterprise this Sept and have another rental booked for next May...at significantly less than airport rental fees. We did both rentals through Costco...you just have to look for it. Enterprise in Kahului is a $10 taxi ride from the airport, with another $10 in reverse on returning. The only catch is that you must get to Enterprise before 5 pm. Avis in Kihei (and I think Enterprise) also do off-airport rentals, but it's more of a chore getting to/from their facilities.

 

[Luanne]

If you are arriving before 4pm or so, check to off-airport rental possibilities. We rented off-airport at Enterprise this Sept and have another rental booked for next May...at significantly less than airport rental fees. We did both rentals through Costco...you just have to look for it. Enterprise in Kahului is a $10 taxi ride from the airport, with another $10 in reverse on returning. The only catch is that you must get to Enterprise before 5 pm. Avis in Kihei (and I think Enterprise) also do off-airport rentals, but it's more of a chore getting to/from their facilities.

I think it would have to be quite a significant savings for me to want to rent off site. I have a question. Does everyone in your party get their luggage and then you all go to the offsite location together? Or do you just send one person and leave everyone else waiting at the airport?

 

[TXTortoise]

This... "Or do you just send one person and leave everyone else waiting at the airport?"

The old bus system almost made it a necessity, but from what I've read the new parking structure makes it easy to walk or take the shuttle, then loop back around. I'll find out in Feb.

To the Original Poster...if you can get the $400 rate for next summer, I'd at least book it, you can always use AutoSlash.com to check and see if things improve. I booked a two week rental last April for Maui in February. Intermediate SUV via Costco was $505 all in. Taxes were almost as much as the rental. They've been at $800 or so since last May. While I expect to see a drop at some point, Hertz, at least, is showing limited SUVs already.

I assume mid-summer is equal to or worse than February.

 

[mjm1]

I think it would have to be quite a significant savings for me to want to rent off site. I have a question. Does everyone in your party get their luggage and then you all go to the offsite location together? Or do you just send one person and leave everyone else waiting at the airport?

This... "Or do you just send one person and leave everyone else waiting at the airport?"

The old bus system almost made it a necessity, but from what I've read the new parking structure makes it easy to walk or take the shuttle, then loop back around. I'll find out in Feb.

To the Original Poster...if you can get the $400 rate for next summer, I'd at least book it, you can always use AutoSlash.com to check and see if things improve. I booked a two week rental last April for Maui in February. Intermediate SUV via Costco was $505 all in. Taxes were almost as much as the rental. They've been at $800 or so since last May. While I expect to see a drop at some point, Hertz, at least, is showing limited SUVs already.

I assume mid-summer is equal to or worse than February.

We were just there last month. I wasn’t sure how long the line at Thrifty would be, so I left my DW at luggage claim and took the new tram system to the car rental site just down the way. It was very quick. No line at Thrifty, so got the car and made the short loop back to pick up my DW and the luggage. Some/most people got their luggage first and then went to the car rental together. Either way can work. On the way back I dropped off my DW and the luggage, dropped off the car and took the tram back (shorter return time), and checked in the luggage. Very easy.

We like the new site much better then the old one.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[Luanne]

We were just there last month. I wasn’t sure how long the line at Thrifty would be, so I left my DW at luggage claim and took the new tram system to the car rental site just down the way. It was very quick. No line at Thrifty, so got the car and made the short loop back to pick up my DW and the luggage. Some/most people got their luggage first and then went to the car rental together. Either way can work. On the way back I dropped off my DW and the luggage, dropped off the car and took the tram back (shorter return time), and checked in the luggage. Very easy.

We like the new site much better then the old one.

Best regards.

Mike

I'm looking forward to using the new site next time we go to Maui. We would usually have dh go for the car and I'd collect the luggage. But there were times when the luggage was delivered so quickly that I was able to catch up with dh before he even got to the rental car shuttle.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

It must be because we are traveling late August - Priceline now showing $360 for a premium car

It started that way for me many months out, but prices continued to drop as we got closer to our check in date - of course, we are here in November as opposed to peak season.