Average Maui Car Rental Prices In May 2026 Were Up At Least 45% From May 2025
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
May 25, 2026. Maui car rental prices moved mostly sideways this week, with nearly no significant movement from last week's levels. In a repeat of last year's Memorial Day price action, the holiday did not produce any price bump, confirming that this holiday is a non-event when it comes to rental car pricing in Maui. With prices now recorded for the final week of May, we can compare this year's average price for the month with the average price from May 2025. The result: prices for the rental vehicle types that we track ranged from 45% higher year-over-year (for economy/compact cars) to nearly double (for SUV's), with the other categories falling in between. This comes on the heels of average prices for the first four months (January through April) increasing within nearly the exact same range (50% up to double) year-over-year. We are starting to see a structural re-arrangement of prices where the low-season floor for this year has been set at a higher level than the year before - and if seasonal travel trends repeat, prices can go only higher from here in the coming 12 months. Keep reading for all the details.
HOW MUCH IS THE CHEAPEST MAUI RENTAL CAR ON May 25, 2026?
Every week, we list the lowest available prices for a one-week car rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), for a selection of vehicle categories, with the company offering the best price. This is our overview of Maui car rental prices for the week beginning Monday, May 18, 2026.
Category Price Company
Economy $289 Thrifty
Midsize $341 Dollar
Jeep $597 Payless
Convertbl $709 Payless
SUV $443 Payless
7 St SUV $654 Payless
Minivan $781 Budget
The prices quoted here include all applicable taxes and fees. Prices for these vehicle types charted week-to-week for the last 14 months are illustrated in Figure 1.
These are the lowest prices in every car category: The lowest price for a compact car from Kahului Airport (OGG) this week is with Thrifty, at $289/week.. Mid-size cars are starting at $341/week, at Thrifty's sister company, Dollar. Jeeps are starting at $597/week, from Payless. The lowest price for a convertible is $709/week, at Payless. The cheapest standard SUV's are $443/week, at SiXT, and 7-seat SUV's are starting at $654/week, at Payless. The cheapest minivans are $781/week, at Budget .
HOW MUCH DID MAUI RENTAL CAR PRICES CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK?
For each vehicle category, this is how the lowest price for a one week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) starting on Monday May 25, 2026 has changed from the week before:
Category This week Last Change Economy $289 $272 +6%
Midsize $341 $390 -13%
Jeep $597 $635 -6%
Convertbl $709 $771 -8%
SUV $443 $543 -18%
7 st SUV $654 $657 0%
Minivan $781 $541 +44%
This week's lowest prices for rental cars from Kahului Airport (OGG) saw relatively small changes from last week. The direction was mixed, with most prices moving slightly lower. Economy/compact cars were up 6%, midsize cars were down 13%, Jeeps were down 6%, convertibles were down 8%, standard SUV's were down 18%, and 7-seat SUV's were unchanged. In a market where we see week-to-week changes in the range of 50% to more than double, these changes are routine. The outliers this week were minivans, up 44% from last week. In the last year, fleet levels for this popular category have been affected by a safety recall that idled hundreds of vehicles as they awaited repair. This has introduced volatility in this category, are fleet levels are adjusted and scheduled fleet rotations to replace the affected vehicles with new vehicles from the mainland US are under way.
Prices for this week and last week, with the percentage change week-to-week, are illustrated in Figure 2.
As we noted in the last few editions of this blog, prices seem to be fluctuating near a low-season bottom, from which they will almost inevitably rise to higher busy season levels.
HOW DID AVERAGE PRICES IN MAY 2026 CHANGE FROM THE YEAR BEFORE?
From our price data collected in the last 4 weeks, we can estimate the average price during the month of May 2026 in every vehicle category, and compare it to the average price in May 2025. Our results give a striking continuation of the year-over-year increase for the period of January to April, the first four months of the year, that coincide with the busy winter travel season. This is how the average price for the month of May 2026 in every vehicle category compared with May 2025:
2025 2026 Change
Economy $190 $276 +45%
Midsize $233 $344 +48%
Jeep $336 $556 +65%
Convertbl $508 $756 +49%
SUV $255 $506 +98%
7 st SUV $338 $592 +75%
Minivan $330 $536 +63%
This comparison is illustrated in Figure 3.
In the data we see a base increase of 45% for economy/compact cars with all other categories increasing even more. Midsize cars were up 48%, Jeeps were up 65%, convertibles were up 49%, standard SUV's were nearly double (up 98%), large 7-seat SUV's were up 75%, and minivans were up 63%. These changes are in almost the exact same range as the year-over-year increase that we found for prices averaged over the first four months of the year. This points to a structural re-set for prices, that we believe is likely to last through the coming 12 months, barring any unforeseen events.
WHY ARE MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICES SO MUCH HIGHER IN 2026?
Separately, we gather and report data on price levels for bookings made in advance vs. last-minute prices for the same dates. As we reported last week, there we find that to some extent rental companies are reducing (if not abandoning) traditional last-minute discounting as a means to capture revenue in periods of low activity. Instead, possibly at the behest of new profit maximization (aka dynamic pricing) algorithms powered by AI, operators are opting to hold the line on pricing as a better way of maximizing profit. Maybe the industry has finally learned from their AI systems that you cannot "lose a dollar on every sale, but make it up on volume." Or maybe they have learned that the life-time value of a customer who is on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii) does not warrant the steep acquisition cost baked in to a heavily discounted rental. Or maybe there is a class of customer - rabid discount-hunters - whom providers now regard as unprofitable and no longer wish to accommodate. Who knows what the reasons may be. We have as little visibility into the reasoning of price, product, and operations managers as they do into the reasoning of their AI systems that they now rely on. The fact is, looking from the outside at the black box, the pricing strategy seems to have undergone a radical transformation in the last year or two, with what appears will become a lasting impact on the affordability that travelers seek in coming to a dream destination like Maui.
We will continue to explore this subject in future reports.
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 6, 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 Maui car rental prices and availability 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 a thought leader in the rental car industry, quoted by influential publications like SFgate.com. He 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
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