I will be watching your post! We are going for the month of Feb and it's over $1000.00. Of course that is high season but I keep looking and hoping for something better.

You should book (not on a nonrefundable) site, and then start to check frequently. I started at $980 for my BI rental and have gone down to ~$440 for my dates (the price is back up in the $900s now).
Have the best rate you can find reserved, and then do due diligence; sometimes a couple/few weeks out is when the prices will drop (if they don't, you are at least guaranteed a vehicle).
You can always do Hotwire or PL at a MUCH later date (never this early) if the prices haven't moved enough for you.

Try www.DiscountHawaiiCarRental.com

Some discount codes to try

Avis K817625

Avis K816401

Alamo 7014653

National 6600334

Clark, of the four discount codes, one actually works! Are these available to anyone or will we have to show some kind of i.d. (military, government, senior, etc.)?

BarbAnn beat me to it, last trip to Kauai I booked thru DHCR and got a great car with Avis (they only book with the majors).

I'll try that, too. Thanks!

sf:Those are from grocery store clubs, frequent flier codes etc anyone can use, most found here on previous fodors threads, no member i.d. required

I found I can get lower rates at the off-airport rental offices near the hotels. I take a shuttle to and from the airport. Another way I have saved is to only rent the car for the days I really need it. For days just hanging out at the pool or beach, there is no sense in paying for a car to sit in the parking lot.

Tried to post this yesterday when Fodors was down so here goes again.

sf - Maui seems to always be a little more expensive for car rentals. I go there frequently for work and even last Nov which was a pretty slow time, I paid $125 for two days. So the $305 isn't too bad. I would book it and keep checking back for discounts or price drops.

cd-montereybob makes a great point about off airport rentals. I was in Maui this Feb for a convention/work. I usually book with either Dollar or Enterprise because they are the cheapest. The best I could get for 6 days was around $900. There is no way my company was going to pay for that. I went to the Enterprise office in Kahului on Hana Highway. It's about a 5-7 min ($10) car ride from the airport. My rental from that office was $323. When I returned my car to that location, the staff there drove me to the airport. They just have a policy that they can't pick people up at the airport.

I'm sure some of the hotels may have good deals, too. I guess depending where you are staying, you'd have to factor in the cost of a shuttle to and from the airport. But Enterprise in Kahului was a great alternative.

Thanks - we actually did already find a better rate on Avis, and we'll keep checking.

As for renting a car for the days we want it, no can do -- I have to have a car at my disposal so I can go somewhere on a whim, even if it's just out for breakfast!

sf-I'm with you on that. I need to have a car, too. Sometimes those outings done on a whim are the best ones.

songdoc has a TR that mentions a local rental place that was very cost effective. I saw it earlier so check it out.

Thanks Paula

cd-I hope my info helps. I almost fell off my chair when I saw the car rental prices in Maui this Feb!! Crazy.

check utahtea's post of Feb 10 for a link to a Maui car discount:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/retal-cars-start-at-172-a-day-in-maui.cfm

We're bookedd to pay $33/day all in for Jan.-Feb. on Maui. That's a National club rate; we usually get four or five 'freebie' days. I'll be checking rates until right before we leave Chicago.

if you are a member of Costco, they have car rental ratess. Costco travel.com..we have booked 3 vacations with them to hawaii which included a car and I have looked at their brochures on car rentals which appear to be reasonabale.

Thanks tracy2cents for utahtea's post. I booked a car with DHCR(OGG) and Costco Travel (ITO) for next February (Feb. 10-22) on Maui & Big Island. I thought I got a great rate as I had really search around. Wow, I tried utahtea's site and I will save approximately $60 on Maui and $100 on the Big Island!

That is what I love about Fodorites!

Just booked Avis with the coupon -- at $31.50 per day all-in for an intermediate ($30 for a compact).

I'd bet anything that those prices will come down between now and 2013.

Well, I'm going in 2012, so that won't help (but we will keep checking).

Sorry, was assuming everyone was going in Jan-Feb! Still, prices will go down, I believe; best to have that bird in the hand, and then beat the bushes!

Exactly!