Maui Car Rental Prices Are Settling In To Low Season Level For August
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
August 2, 2026. Every August it's as if someone flips a switch and Maui car rental prices drop from the high levels they held through the busy summer travel down to affordable low season and they remain at this lower level through the middle of September when they begin to rise again. This year is like an instant replay of last year and most other years. With that said, the market is still working through the effects of last year's safety recall on minivans. Even one year later, the recall hangover is holding the prices of minivans and SUVs at higher levels while prices on other vehicles drop. Keep reading for all the details.
HOW MUCH IS THE CHEAPEST MAUI RENTAL CAR ON AUGUST 3, 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, August 3, 2026.
Category Price Company
Economy $287 Dollar
Midsize $302 Dollar
Jeep $415 Budget
Convertbl $625 Dollar
SUV $553 Dollar
7 St SUV $601 Dollar
Minivan $892 Alamo
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 Dollar, at $287/week. Mid-size cars are starting at $302/week,also at Dollar. Jeeps are starting at $415/week, from Budget. Convertibles start at $625/week, from Dollar. The cheapest standard SUV's are $553/week, at Dollar. Large 7-seat SUV's are about $50 more, $601/week, again at Dollar. For minivans, the lowest price is $892/week, available at Thrifty.
HOW MUCH DID MAUI RENTAL CAR PRICES CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK?
This is how the lowest price for a one week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) starting on August 3, 2026 has changed from the week before, for every vehicle category:
Category This week Last Change Economy $287 $420 -32%
Midsize $302 $552 -45%
Jeep $415 $570 -27%
Convertbl $625 $510 23%
SUV $553 $546 1%
7 st SUV $601 $646 -7%
Minivan $892 $877 2%
Compared to last week, prices were split, with 4-door cars and Jeeps down, SUV's and minivans holding steady, and convertibles going in their own direction.
The lowest price for a one-week rental on an economy car was down 32% from the week before. The price for a mid-size car was down 45%, and for a Jeep, it was 27% lower. SUV's and minivans were almost unchanged - up 1% for standard SUVs, down 7% for larger 7-seat SUV's, and up 2%. The rental price for convertibles was the only one to go up significantly, rising 23%.
Prices for this week and last week, with the percentage change week-to-week, are illustrated in Figure 2.
The drop in rental prices at the beginning of August is a recurring seasonal feature that occurs every year. It is clearly visible on the price chart, If this year's prices follow the same pattern as last year, they are now very close to their fall shoulder season level, where they will hold steady until mid-September, when they begin to rise again. level of the summer, which will be their fall shoulder season level, that lasts The next few weeks are the best time to rent a car in Mauj with prices at their most affordable level for the year.
But not all vehicle types are following the same downward price trajectory. Larger vehicles, including minivans and SUVs, are still showing the effects of last year's safety recall on minivans, that idled and estimated 2,000 vehicles, limiting supply. Even one year later, many of the affected vehicles have not yet been repaired or replaced, which puts pressure on the entire category of large multi-passenger vehicles, even as demand slows down from summer's peak travel season. Recall that for several weeks in June and July, last minute availability of minivans was entirely non-existent. So even these high levels of more than $100 per day are an improvement over no availability at all. It is not likely that prices on these larger vehicles will fall much further.
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.
We have recently completed three full years of weekly monitoring of the lowest available price for a one-week rental at Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), compiling prices for vehicles available at the Consolidated Rent A Car facility (ConRAC) as well as rentals from off-airport locations served by free shuttle. This survey covers 10 different companies, Ace (closed as of March 2026), Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Nu, Payless, Sixt, and Thrifty.
This price survey covering three years from July 2023 to this July is illustrated in Figure 3. This chart marks an important milestone in our multi-year price-tracking effort. We will return to it in future editions of this blog to discuss salient features like the significant rise in the price floor in 2026 compared to 2025 (clearly visible on the chart), and the repeating seasonal variation of prices (also clearly visible).
Beginning in July 2024, we expanded our data collection from just the lowest price available to the lowest prices in 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. Later this month we will have completed two full years of this data set - which will again give us plenty of salient findings to dive into, deeply.
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 4, 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 rental cars rate 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 affordable older cars and discount prices on new cars, with a "Lowest Price Guarantee" that assures you of getting the best deal on your rental. The company is a member of the Hawaii Visitors and Conventions Bureau (HVCB) and the American Car Rental Association (ACRA). Visit our website at www.mauicarrental.biz, or call us at 808-280-1196.
Price Data Sources: rentalcars.com, rentals.mauicarrental.biz
