Thrifty Car Rental in Lihue, Kauai Really as Bad as Reviews?

[aland0524]

We'll be in Lihue starting Jan. 27, 2025 through Feb. 7 (at Sheraton Kaui resort and then at Waiohai...and MOC/Nanea after this for another 3 weeks). In checking out rental cars, I noticed that Autoslash had great rates (using Pay now) for a full sized SUV (Santa Fe) from Thrifty Car Rental on Lihue for significantly less than Costco Travel was charging (even when taking into consideration the pay now requirement, which allows one to cancel 48 hours before though). However, in reading some of the on-line reviews for Thrifty in Lihue, there seems to be a lot of horror stories about waiting in line (some for more than 2 hours) and other issues with service. I've never had issues with any of the car rental agencies - mostly Budget, Avis, Enterprise - but don't remember ever renting from Thrifty (we've been coming to Kauai since Hurricane Ewa (!) on an almost every other year basis. Any Tuggers have experience with renting from Thrifty they can share? Can these horror stories still be true?

 

[daviator]

We'll be in Lihue starting Jan. 27, 2025 through Feb. 7 (at Sheraton Kaui resort and then at Waiohai...and MOC/Nanea after this for another 3 weeks). In checking out rental cars, I noticed that Autoslash had great rates (using Pay now) for a full sized SUV (Santa Fe) from Thrifty Car Rental on Lihue for significantly less than Costco Travel was charging (even when taking into consideration the pay now requirement, which allows one to cancel 48 hours before though). However, in reading some of the on-line reviews for Thrifty in Lihue, there seems to be a lot of horror stories about waiting in line (some for more than 2 hours) and other issues with service. I've never had issues with any of the car rental agencies - mostly Budget, Avis, Enterprise - but don't remember ever renting from Thrifty (we've been coming to Kauai since Hurricane Ewa (!) on an almost every other year basis. Any Tuggers have experience with renting from Thrifty they can share? Can these horror stories still be true?

After my experience with Thrifty on Maui last November, and subsequently on Oahu, I will never rent from them in Hawaii again. Two hours of waiting in line following by 90 minutes of waiting for a car to become available. Presumably they operate similarly on Kauai.

i like to save money as much as the next guy, but my vacation time is worth something too.

 

[Luanne]

We stay away from Thrifty, Dollar and Budget.

 

[ljmiii]

Any Tuggers have experience with renting from Thrifty they can share? Can these horror stories still be true?

First and last experience was with Thrifty at LIH in the late 90s/early aughts....so yes they were awful but that was more than 20 years ago. In general on the islands I usually end up with Costco/Alamo but occasionally at HNL Hertz somehow comes through with the best rate.

But on Kauai we rent from Pineapple Express, founded and operated by long time Waiohai owners who decided they would rather live than vacation on Kauai.

Pineapple Express Kauai

We are a local veteran owned family business. Serving the Island of Kauai, providing quality car rentals, fast and friendly service with Aloha.

pineappleexpresskauai.godaddysites.com

 

[slip]

It's be over a decade since I used Budget in Hawaii and Kauai inperticular. It was a very very long wait. I prefer Alamo, Enterprise and Hertz.

 

[normab]

Over to years we have used Avis, National and Hertz and have had no problems.

 

[trev]

We have always had great success with Turo on Kaua'i, Maui and Oahu.

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[echino]

I rented with Thrifty at LIH and had no issues.

The lines can be long with any car rental company unless you have a membership with skip the line benefits, depending on time you can get lucky or unlucky.

 

[Luanne]

We have always had great success with Turo on Kaua'i, Maui and Oahu.

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Did you have to take out additional insurance? Was there some kind of back up if there was a problem with the car?

 

[trev]

No we didn't take out additional insurance. In my experience with over 15 turo rentals, if you rent from someone on Turo with high ratings and newer vehicles, there is low risk. I travel with kids and sometimes a grandma along for the ride, so I love being able to know the exact vehicle I will use ahead of time to ensure there are enough seats and luggage capacity.

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[Luanne]

No we didn't take out additional insurance. In my experience with over 15 turo rentals, if you rent from someone on Turo with high ratings and newer vehicles, there is low risk. I travel with kids and sometimes a grandma along for the ride, so I love being able to know the exact vehicle I will use ahead of time to ensure there are enough seats and luggage capacity.

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And what is your back up if something goes wrong?

 

[daviator]

No we didn't take out additional insurance. In my experience with over 15 turo rentals, if you rent from someone on Turo with high ratings and newer vehicles, there is low risk. I travel with kids and sometimes a grandma along for the ride, so I love being able to know the exact vehicle I will use ahead of time to ensure there are enough seats and luggage capacity.

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I am going to counter your experience with mine. I reserved cars with Turo three times. The first time went swimmingly and I was happy.

The next two times, both of which were in Hawaii, coincidentally, did not. In both cases, the Turo host cancelled my booking just a couple days before my arrival (apparently they can just change their mind and cancel!) leaving me with no car, and by that time, the traditional car rental companies were very expensive as they were nearly sold out.

I had to pay very expensive prices for both rentals, I'd have been MUCH better off had I reserved traditional rental cars well in advance (which is when I booked the Turo rentals.)

Learning the hard way that a Turo reservation was essentially meaningless – it means "if the host doesn't change their mind, then they will rent to you" taught me never to use them again.

I'm glad others have had happier experiences, but unless Turo now guarantees that you will get at least a comparable car at the same price and pickup/dropoff location if the host cancels, I can't imagine relying on them again.

 

[trev]

I don't have a 'backup'. I would compare turo to using an Airbnb or vrbo. I rent from individuals with high ratings and hope that everything will be good. I always confirm a few days before travel that everything is good on their end. So far, I haven't been disappointed and all of my experiences have been better than car rental annoyances (waiting in lines/car availability, being nickeled and dimed for preexisting damage, upcharged for insurance, etc) that I've experienced.

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[trev]

I am going to counter your experience with mine. I reserved cars with Turo three times. The first time went swimmingly and I was happy.

The next two times, both of which were in Hawaii, coincidentally, did not. In both cases, the Turo host cancelled my booking just a couple days before my arrival (apparently they can just change their mind and cancel!) leaving me with no car, and by that time, the traditional car rental companies were very expensive as they were nearly sold out.

I had to pay very expensive prices for both rentals, I'd have been MUCH better off had I reserved traditional rental cars well in advance (which is when I booked the Turo rentals.)

Learning the hard way that a Turo reservation was essentially meaningless – it means "if the host doesn't change their mind, then they will rent to you" taught me never to use them again.

I'm glad others have had happier experiences, but unless Turo now guarantees that you will get at least a comparable car at the same price and pickup/dropoff location if the host cancels, I can't imagine relying on them again.

Sorry... that is super pathetic behavior on the part of the Turo host. I'm fortunate that your experience hasn't happened with me.

I may end up regretting it at some point, but I still really have been pleased with Turo and will use them again.

I suppose I coupd get a refundable 'backup' rental confirmation with Costco in case something happens with the turo reservation. May need to do that next time.

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[daviator]

Sorry... that is super pathetic behavior on the part of the Turo host. I'm fortunate that your experience hasn't happened with me.

I may end up regretting it at some point, but I still really have been pleased with Turo and will use them again.

I suppose I coupd get a refundable 'backup' rental confirmation with Costco in case something happens with the turo reservation. May need to do that next time.

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Since many car rental rates are completely cancellable, that might be a good workaround, to have a no-commitment backup reservation so you don't get stuck like I did.

Of course, that's a bunch of extra work (and a bit of a jerk move to no-show with Avis or whatever, but I guess their business model allows that.)

I think there should be some sort of penalty to Turo hosts who cancel at the last minute, but apparently there is not (or at least there wasn't at the time.) So there was nothing to dissuade them from cancelling if they decided they'd rather use their car themselves that day.

My one good experience with Turo was totally fine, if that was my only experience I'd be raving about them.

 

[Dean]

Sorry... that is super pathetic behavior on the part of the Turo host. I'm fortunate that your experience hasn't happened with me.

I may end up regretting it at some point, but I still really have been pleased with Turo and will use them again.

I suppose I coupd get a refundable 'backup' rental confirmation with Costco in case something happens with the turo reservation. May need to do that next time.

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I would always get a back up with Costco or similar that has no cost unless picked up. The other thing with Turo IMO is you need the max insurance to be appropriately safe which significantly reduces any financial savings over renting through a traditional option. I always reshop my car rentals, hotels, etc periodically as rates change. For example, I had a rental car for a trip to AZ in 2023 through Costco. The day before departure I booked a non refundable rate directly which was quite a bit cheaper. I don't do non refundable rates more than a few days out. I have a HI trip coming up and rates for both Maui and Oahu have been all over the place. I've reduced my Maui rate by about 30% and my Oahu rate by over 50% from m original rate. I also compare different pickup times as the rate can vary dramatically. Changing my pickup time for Oahu to an hour later dropped my rate by $200 for a week recently. I've seen the lowest price for Maui for my time as high as $800 for a week for all options except an EV or full size Pick up.

 

[daviator]

I would always get a back up with Costco or similar that has no cost unless picked up. The other thing with Turo IMO is you need the max insurance to be appropriately safe which significantly reduces any financial savings over renting through a traditional option. I always reshop my car rentals, hotels, etc periodically as rates change. For example, I had a rental car for a trip to AZ in 2023 through Costco. The day before departure I booked a non refundable rate directly which was quite a bit cheaper. I don't do non refundable rates more than a few days out. I have a HI trip coming up and rates for both Maui and Oahu have been all over the place. I've reduced my Maui rate by about 30% and my Oahu rate by over 50% from m original rate. I also compare different pickup times as the rate can vary dramatically. Changing my pickup time for Oahu to an hour later dropped my rate by $200 for a week recently. I've seen the lowest price for Maui for my time as high as $800 for a week for all options except an EV or full size Pick up.

Yes, in today's market you really do need to keep checking back on the rates.

Before our trip to Hawaii in November, I think I rebooked the Maui car rental five or six different times. The price kept coming down as the trip got closer. In the end, I got an intermediate car from Thrifty on Maui for a very low price – something like $225 for the week. But that's where I first learned that Thrifty is a really poor rental experience that will waste hours of your time.

I use Autoslash, and they usually find good rates, but sometimes I have done better on Costco (supposedly Autoslash check's Costco Travel's pricing, but I've still done better a couple of times by going direct to them.)

 

[TolmiePeak]

Is saving $100 really worth a 2 hour wait in line? I don't look at the price and just rent from Alamo in Lihue. You just check in online and walk to your car and drive out.

 

[Carlsbadguy]

At Hetz in Mau on Jan 5th I had to wait about 20 minutes for a car. This was about 2:30 PM. When I returned the car the following Saturday morning around 10:00 am, I noticed the garage was full with rentals.

 

[Dean]

Yes, in today's market you really do need to keep checking back on the rates.

Before our trip to Hawaii in November, I think I rebooked the Maui car rental five or six different times. The price kept coming down as the trip got closer. In the end, I got an intermediate car from Thrifty on Maui for a very low price – something like $225 for the week. But that's where I first learned that Thrifty is a really poor rental experience that will waste hours of your time.

I use Autoslash, and they usually find good rates, but sometimes I have done better on Costco (supposedly Autoslash check's Costco Travel's pricing, but I've still done better a couple of times by going direct to them.)

I'd love to get it down to that range for Maui in March but I've done good to get it to about double that so far. Even though my company will pay for it I want to be considerate to them as well. I've fairly close to that price for Oahu and that one is out of my pocked. I'll keep checking and about 1-2 days out I'll look at prepaid rentals and compare.

 

[Carlsbadguy]

I found Discount Hawaii Car Rental had the best rates for a cancellable reservation about 1 week out from my trip. It is through Thrifty so buyer beware. I wound up getting a slighlty better rate through AAA Hertz for prepaid a day before so used that. WIth Hertz the car was clean and relatively new but even as a President's Circle member had to wait about 20 minutes for a car. Turned out ok as I went to get the car while wife waited for the luggage and it took about that amount of time for the luggage to arrive.

 

[aland0524]

Thanks all for sharing your stories...I'm debating on whether I should take Thrifty, Dollar or Hertz on the AutoSlash Pay Now option - with about a $100 range in total fees between the 3 of them (all owned by Hertz with Hertz being the most expensive). Based on the reviews, it seems like they all have many of the same issues - long wait times, poor service, etc. although I can't believe Hertz's service can be that bad...unless in Lihue, these 3 are just poorly managed and are as bad as the reviews say there are...Anybody have any suggestions (the Costco Travel options are significantly more expensive than the AutoSlash option for Kauai so I think I'm stuck with AutoSlash and these 3 companies I've mentioned)?

 

[Carlsbadguy]

If you are a AAA member I found the rates to be cheaper but your choices will be Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar and Hertz is usually cheapest.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks all for sharing your stories...I'm debating on whether I should take Thrifty, Dollar or Hertz on the AutoSlash Pay Now option - with about a $100 range in total fees between the 3 of them (all owned by Hertz with Hertz being the most expensive). Based on the reviews, it seems like they all have many of the same issues - long wait times, poor service, etc. although I can't believe Hertz's service can be that bad...unless in Lihue, these 3 are just poorly managed and are as bad as the reviews say there are...Anybody have any suggestions (the Costco Travel options are significantly more expensive than the AutoSlash option for Kauai so I think I'm stuck with AutoSlash and these 3 companies I've mentioned)?

Personally I never do the Pay ahead option, even if it's cheaper. Maybe I would do it a day before the pick up, but I've usually gotten the best price I can find before then.

 

[rthib]

Just got back from LIH. Rented right before new year. Use Hertz because corporate rate is so cheap. If you have status (and you can get easily) then no issues or wait. I actually had two back to back reservations because corporate rate wasn’t available for first day. When I returned they asked if no wanted to keep current car or get the other car. I liked the one I had so they made a quick change on computer and off I went again. They are super nice too. Maui was a disaster. No cars in any of the lots (Gold, Five Star, PC) So you had to go inside, they put your name on a list and then you waited for whatever car happened to arrive. Only place I saw where they were skipping locals ahead of tourists.
No issue on big Island either. Got a check engine light as heading from Kona to Hilo as I drove past airport, so stopped in Hertz. Car was missing gas cap but they swapped out quickly and on my way. Plus was, we had driven up to Honokaa and around and used about half a tank of gas so with the switch didn’t have to refill that so was a nice rewards.