Which type of vehicle in Hawaii?
 

I am planning on visiting Maui, the Big Island, Kauai, and posibly Honolulu. I do not need a car on Honolulu, but I am wondering which type of vehicle I should rent on the other 3 islands. I am thinking about convertables on Maui and Kauai, and a 4WD vehicle on the Big Island. Are these good choices, or do you have other suggestions? Thanks for the suggestions!

convertible all the way

My wife and I rented a 4WD in Maui for a week last year. I think we would have been happier with a convertible. Except for the unpaved road south of Hana, you did not need it; it was not as comfortable as a convertible, and was more expensive.

I have loved having a convertible in Hawaii. The only caveat I'll offer is that they have minimal trunk space. But you don't need to pack much for Hawaii anyhow, so go for it. I don't see the advantage to a 4WD. No matter what kind of car you rent you are explicitly forbidden from driving it offroad by the rental agencies.

Two things to think about:<BR>Security...convertibles have none, as most trunks can be opened from inside the car.<BR>Sunburn-wear a hat and covered sleeves and use lots of sunscreen in a convertible. When the wind is whipping thru your hair, it doesn't feel hot, but you will get a horrid sunburn!<BR>I personally rent a regular car on the islands. Don't look as much like "tourist" and use the money saved to get a massage or great dinner each night!

My sister and I rented a convertible on Maui. Loved the car, but even with 30+ sunscreen and a hat, we still burned on the first day. That night we were at the pharmacy buying aloe for relief. Make sure that you have a strong sunscreen. Have fun.

I agree with Tani, you will stand out as a tourist with a convertible. You wont find too many residents with them as the frequent trade wind showers can come down at any time, even when there's a lot of sunshine out (that's why we have such great rainbows!)<BR>

Is driving on anpaved roads allowed in rental cars?<BR>What is off road driving?

Most any car rental will make you stand out as a tourist.<BR><BR>Just ask the locals.<BR><BR>After out convertible was broken into...we left windows down and car unlocked anytime we visted the islands.

The 4WD is only important if you plan on visiting sites that are only reachable through unpaved areas. We rented one last year and only for one hike. Found this a waste of money and a cut down on space so it is not always worth it. <BR><BR>As for convertible that is probably fun for 1 day and then becomes a hassel unless you enjoy constantly fussing with your hair, all day exposure to harsh sun and strong wind in your face. Do you like applying sun screen to your part? Do you want to have a conversation with your travel partner. What about music? I think a convertible might be nice for the road to Hana but I can't think of too many roads on any of the islands where the foliage comes so close to the roads edge making this a great experience.

I was there this past September and we did the following: convertible on Maui and Kauai and Jeep on the BI. If you do the road to Hana, make sure you have a sun hat. The road is paved 95% of the way, so no need for 4WD. We rented the Jeep on the BI because we wanted to go to Mauna Kea Observatory. 4WD is mandatory if you want to go to the top. This road was paved the entire way, it's just a real steep incline to the top.

The whole concern about looking like a tourist or not is ridiculous. Nearly everone in Hawaii driving around the sites is a tourist. No matter what you drive you are well known as a tourist from the way you dress, to where you eat down to your skin color so the car thing should be your last concern. A convertible allows you uninterrupted views out of your vehicle not just the window area. Load up on sunscreen. The Big Island does not warrent a 4WD. It's much larger so driving distances will be greater but the roads are as good as the other islands.

Local Girl do you think 4 people could enjoy a convertible?

If the 2 in the back seat are children it would be ok. If they are full sized adults they may not have enough leg room. Usually the rental cars are Mustangs and Sebrings. Another way to get a topless ride is to go with a jeep. Your back seat passengers might get more leg room that way.

Ok another silly question. We will be doing a lot hiking think a 4wd might be easier to keep clean? We are only 3 people.

I don't think a 4wd will stay any cleaner than any other car. How much will you be driving off the road? Even in Kauai where the dirt is red and sticky you would have to drive off road for some time to really dirty up your vehicle. How dirty do you imagine your car will get?<BR><BR><BR>Tracey, you feel that you could not get to the Mauna Kea Observatory without a 4wd even though it is paved the whole way?

xxx,<BR><BR>Just a reminder, never lock your you car at a trail head. Kids/thieves hide in trees and break in while you are hiking.<BR><BR>After our breaking, we learned to leave car unlocked and windows at least halfway down as a sign that there was nothing of value in the car.<BR><BR>Hawaii is great for hiking. Take water. Consider any stream or waterfall to be polluted.

Dick it's not so much that streams and waterfalls are polluted in the sense of man mad pollutants, it's actually naturally occuring bacteria that will have a negative affect on you. Just as you should not drink from mountain waterfalls and streams on the mainland like say, Yosemite, which has a giardia threat yuo should be equally careful in Hawaii.

Local, I was always under the impression that wild pigs etc have made the watere unsafe to drink with their "natural bacteria" . I agree that pollutants generally refers so chemicals....sorrry for poor choice of words.<BR><BR>I only mentioned it because we have encountered tourists along Na Pali that thought the "pure clean " water was safe to drink.<BR><BR>At least its not chemical waste being deliberately put into streams like we have had on the mainland.

Really? I can't imagine that anyone would drink from a water source that had not been filtered. Guess you live with certain information and assume that others already know not to do this. I think that those tourists were taking a big risk with their health. I hope it worked out for them. I visit California every year and they seem to know not to drink from streams. Do residents of other states not have water contamination issues? That would be interesting to know.

Regarding Mauna Kea, you are not allowed to go to the top without 4WD. The road grade is 30% and you have to drive in 4WD Low from the midstation. Here's the website: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/index.html

Gee, I'd hate to look like a tourist, even if that's what I am. Who cares if you look like a tourist. I'm not going to rent a car I don't want to fool people into thinking I live somewhere. <BR>Okay, that said, convertibles are fun in Hawaii. They do have those occasional showers, though, and it is windy from time to time, especially along the coasts.<BR>So this is what I would do: Bring a good comb. Bring suntan oil. Open top. Drive around. Have good time. Lock car when you leave. Let people know you are a tourist. Take many pictures. Post them on website for those who didn't get convertible to see.

I have never owned anything but a convertible so here's a tip - wear a baseball cap backwards. It won't blow off and will protect your scalp. You might get a funny semi-circle burn on your forehead though if you don't use enough sunscreen :) Sebrings are big enough for 2 adults in the backseat, Mustangs most definitely are not. Both have smallish trunks. Cavaliers/Sunfires (if they are still making those for fleet cars - they are not selling the convertibles to the general public anymore) are big enough for 2 adults in the back and have pretty good sized trunks. Jeeps have virtually no luggage space and certainly not enough room for 4 adults and their luggage (I used to have one). Finally, Banana Boat, among other brands, makes an oil-free SPF 30 spray for your hair. I took it to Jamaica the last time and it worked like a charm.

Jenny thanks for the tip on the hair sunscreen. I always get a sunburn on my scalp. Can it be used with haircolor? Not blond :( but brunette?

Tracey, how was the trip up Mauna Kea doing it on your own? I also wanted the 4WD only for the trip up to the summit, but I am still considering going with a tour company. I don't usually go this route, but I have read that it is almost more dangerous driving down than going up. Also, exactly how cold was it? And did you suffer from altitude sickness at all?<BR><BR>I am looking forward to your reply.

Suzie,<BR><BR>I honestly don't know - I would check the label or with your hairdresser. It is possible that they make something specifically for color treated hair. I know other brands make this product too but I suggested the BB because it is pretty inexpensive and worked the same as some of the pricier brands I have tried like Clinique. Hope you find something that works! We got our convertible back today from the body shop (some jerk hit me) and I can't wait to go top down!

The bacteria that could be present in the streams is Leptospirosis. It is treatable but very nasty with an onset that may not occur for many days. In addition to not drinking the water, one should not swim in swimming holes if they have open wounds, as it's another way to catch it. The most dangerous time for leptospirosis is when the water stagnates or just immediately after a rainfall. If the water has been flowing consistently then there is a much less chance of being contaminated with the disease. Nonetheless, you shouldn't take the chance. The disease is spread primarily by the wild boars urine, a large beast which lives in most mountains.

Ann,<BR>On Saturdays and Sundays they will take you to the top of the mountain and let you into NASA and Keck I. They made us stay at the visitors station for 1 hour to get acclimated. The guides also have oxygen in their trucks, but they said they never has to use it. We also climbed to the geological marker about 250 feet up, there I felt winded and had to stop every few feet, but never dizzy. It was amazing! After the tour we stayed to watch the sunset below the clouds. Pack a picnic dinner, we waited about 2 hours for the sunset. It got mighty cold up there, we sat in the Jeep with the heat on. The B&B gave us some blankets, and we wore all the clothes we had. There I was in my sandals and socks! When we went back down to the Visitor Center, they were having a stargazing program. All this for free. The drive down was only scary after the visitors center. We had to go slow and watch for cows in the road, plus it was a bit foggy out. I would do it again in a heart beat, but I just can see paying for something that's free!

Tracey, thanks for the reply. Will we need to reserve the free tour, or do we just show up?

i went to kauai and would definitely recommend you get a convertible. it rains very quickly, sometimes with no notice, and the convertibles give you all the advantages of seeing something more than your car roof interior, make it easy to throw things in and out of the car, etc....spend the extra bucks----how many times have you thought about going to hawaii---now you get to go----if you had to skimp on money, this is the one thing i wouldn't skimp on---i think i used alamo when i went.

localgirl it has been mentioned on this forum that compacts and economy cars do track more mud and dirt when people rent them for a week or more. Just more space against the back seat was one issue in regards to tracking dirt in 4wd that is what I was referring to.

Ann,<BR>We called the day before to make sure the tour was on and got a recording. I don't have the number, but the website should. Then we just showed up. The guide said our group was really small, there were only about 10 of us. He said they usually range in the 30s, but this was right after 9/11 and the island was empty.