Island Cars

If you looking to save a few bucks and rent a car that doesn’t make you look like the paysty skinned tourist that you are, this is the right place! Owner was helpful and employee, Monty was super nice. He treated me professionally and with respect, even when I asked him a zillion questions about the Kauai. That dude really ‘made’ the experience for me. Would surely rent from these guys again!

I am surprised this place can even be in business! DO NOT rent a vehicle here!
They were 30 minutes late picking us up from the harbor, picked us up in a piece of crap
Chevy venture that should not be on the road, got to their business and it turns out that it is a repair shop that rents piece of crap cars, There was a dog sleeping in the doorway so after sneaking around the scary looking dog, I talked with Terri and Joel, who played the game of not knowing which car I was getting until I filled out the paperwork and paid (cash only). Once the paperwork was done, turned out that we were getting the piece of crap 15 year old venture they picked us up in. Being that I own one of the largest repair facilities in the northern suburbs of Chicago and I am also an A.S.E. Certified Master Technician, I looked over the vehicle and it was not safe to be on the road, all 4 tires were bald and 2 of them had exterior plugs in them, which is illegal in the state I come from. 2 of the seat belts did not work, among the various other issues the vehicle had. I told Joel I was not taking that vehicle and he said that was my only choice for a vehicle that would seat 6, that the other 2 vans he had didn’t run.
While we were there, a vehicle was towed in that broke down and they had to put the customer into another vehicle, of which none of the windows worked.
I joked to Joel and asked how long it takes for the tow truck to pick us up and he said the venture was one of his best vehicles and hadn’t broken down in weeks. I refused to take the vehicle and asked for my money back, which they did give me and took a cab to a real rental car company!
I did not expect to be getting a new vehicle, I expected to be getting a 2 – 3 year old vehicle like they told me on the phone, not some wreck that I wouldn’t let my worst enemy drive!
Then, later that night when we were walking to the pier, we saw the Chevy Venture on the back of a tow truck, Glad I didn’t take that vehicle LOL

Used them four times for weeks at a time and we will be back. Mahalo!

Made reservation 3 months in advance. Confirmed two weeks before pickup. Got there on the appointed morning: no minivan available! Alternatives were not workable. Had to wait for two days for a minivan to become available. If we were not local, the vacation would have been ruined, as no other car rental companies had Minivans available (on such short notice).
While minivan was a 2000 model and had AC, only one speed worked (High). The mechanical condition was okay, but passenger side window did not roll down, and the rear vent windows were both inoperable. Operative word here is «Island» car, and it sure was. It served us, but here is the bottom line:
If you value your time, and the assurance that you will get the vehicle you want/​need, book through one of the majors. Sometimes saving money is less important than getting what you need when you need it, especially on your vacation. If your budget is more important (or are age restricted from renting anywhere else), and you are flexible as far as when (or if) the vehicle you booked will be available as planned, take your chances with Island Cars.

Island Cars is sweet! For less than half of what I would pay for a rental at say, Budget or Enterprise I get a true island-​style beater with old surf stickers and a burned out right turn signal! The best part? The locals think I’m a local and still let me merge.

I rented a car from Island Cars a little over a week ago and it was perfect for our budget. You get what you pay for, cars are a little jenky most without AC but hey you are doing it like a local! Definitely would recommend for people on a budget!

Island Cars is amazing! We have family that lives on the island and they came highly recommended from them.
If you want to look like a tourist and drive a brand new shiny yellow Jeep Wrangler with the top down– then by all means you’re going to have to go somewhere else.
On the other hand, if you want a vehicle that won’t cost you a mortgage payment for a week that will get you where you need to go then look no further than Island Cars! I rented from them in 2011 so I don’t know if things have changed but they only took a check and that was A-​OK by me, we got a great deal (~$ 18/​day I think) and the car ran fine. Now, when we valeted the car at our fancy hotel in Poipu, the valet’s all thought I was a local because of my ride :) Sure the car’s side mirrors may have been from 2 different make and models all-​together, but it worked and took us all over the island and made it out to Polihale without any issues– let’s just leave it that our car had wonderful «character». This may sound like a tongue-​in-​cheek review, but honestly I’ll never rent from anyone else when we come back to visit (hopefully soon). Keep up the good work Island Cars.

Place is awesome! If you’re like me, in your twenties or thirties and need a cheap ride for the time being, this place is legit. The cars aren’t the prettiest but it’s a car and it’ll take you to wherever you want. Make sure you check out what cars are available first before you pay. Save yourself some money for other things rather than paying for the airport rentals, it’s a huge difference. Thanks Jim for the warm welcome back. Mahalo!

Thanks Jim, you rented my wife and I the blue car. It was a great beater car to have while we stayed in kauai. The best part I like was pulling into the resorts with the car and watching the people look. Especially at the St Regis. We got a good laugh out of it.

It’s exactly what is advertised, don’t know why others are complaining. I’m only 20 and was still able to rent a car from here for a way cheaper rate than any of the big rental places. I got a Nissan Frontier that was pretty banged up on the side and it got me and 8 other friends to Ke’e Beach, left it overnight to camp without having to worry if it would get stolen/​broken into, then made it up to Waimea Canyon after. Plus the people are really nice and friendly.

Best service. No additional fees for this or fees for that. If it is $ 33 a day, it is $ 33 a day. And you can get em that cheap… the catch, you must be okay with previously really used cars. You may not drive around in luxury, but you drive around like a local. Which is important, cause no one is going to break into another locals car. Fast and friendly service. No one treats you like just another customer, you feel right at home walking into the shop.

So, I would like to first day I’m really surprised at these reviews. Not only are they completely false, but extremely whiney. If you can’t recall who you dealt with by name I have a hard time believing you actually used this company at all. This is going to be long winded, because I feel like they deserve better reviews.
Jim at the front desk is an absolute sweetheart. Not only was he friendly, but very accommodating and didn’t make us feel like the tourists we are lol. We just needed a car for our honeymoon because we wanted to see the island in its entirety while we could. We flew in on Monday morning and a big name car company wanted to charge us upwards of $ 800 for a compact car for 5 days because we are under 25. No thank you. We got a cab to the resort and called around. Everywhere was the same. We heard about island cars from two different people, and figured we would call in the morning. Not only was not being 25+ not an issue, we were able to use cash (because we prefer not to use credit cards) and use our own insurance from home! The best part? $ 180 for 4 days. AND they offered to take us to the airport after be bring the car back. Um, yes please.
Admittedly, these cars are not «top of the line» and brand new off the lot. However, for a vehicle 10+ years old this is amazing. Jim asked if we wanted a «nicer» car, or if we wanted to blend in with the locals (which I thought was hysterical) and we chose blending in. Duh, why would we want to be a target for theft? We were given an older Nissan Altima. It’s clean in the inside, and runs amazingly. Again, it’s a 10+ year old car and has wear and tear. Whatever. We came here on our honeymoon to do stuff, not be seen and envied by other tourists for a car we don’t even own. We filled up the tank with $ 30 and he said to bring it back empty. As if he couldn’t be more amazing. I HIGHLY recommend these guys. Seriously, go see them and worry less about what people are going to see you driving. Plus, it’s a great way to support local a business!

The people running this place are the nicest ever. Very helpful and always with a smile on their face. About 1.7 miles from the airport, you have to either walk (too hot for that!) or take a cab, $ 8.00. BUT, Think twice about these cars because they are not your 4 or 5 year old car. These cars are much older. If you are going to St. Regis, these cars are not the car for you, but if you are going to another «not so first class» these cars are perfect. Our first car was a dude so we had to return it with-​in 5 miles of driving away. Our second car ran pretty good. The out side was a little dented so we did not have to worry about bumps and scratches. The inside was a little used but there were no rips and it did not smell. These cars are the cheapest car on the island.

They get one star for being the usual friendly Kauai types, but otherwise, the vehicles they rent are not only beaters, they are unsafe. Let me be clear, I was fine with the utterly beaten-​up interior and exterior of the Chevy Venture we were first given. But I picked it up at night and found that the interior lights didn’t work, the headlamp covers were so clouded that I could barely see to negotiate the unlit Kauai roads and the a/​c didn’t work. The next day we found that the door locks intermittently wouldn’t open without shutting off the ignition, then they had to be manually locked, then finally the passenger sliding door wouldn’t open at all. I finally gave up after the third day and asked to exchange it. They had a Nissan Quest availabe that was just as much of a beater (at least the a/​c worked), but this time there were no headrests for any of the rear seats, arm rests were missing from both middle seats and the seatbelt on one passenger seat locked up completely, making it unusable. The kicker was the gas gauge (the odometer was LCD and non-​functioning, so it was of no use) — we set out from Poipu to Waimea Canyon with supposedly ½ tank of gas for a less than 100 mile round trip. We made it to the end of the canyon, and halfway back watching the gauge plunge until the empty tank warning light came on. We managed to make it back to a gas station in Waimea, filled it up only to find the gauge showing a whole series of irregular fuel levels later that day. Again, I had no expectations of a brand-​new car, but for $ 350 for eight days, I expect a safe vehicle. Their vehicles are DANGEROUS and the company should be avoided.

We’ve rented from Island Cars two years running. Each time we’ve gotten a used (100K+ miles) car that fit in perfectly, was cheap (half or less than what you’d pay at the major national chains), and worked for what we needed. The service in the office can be a mixed bag, and is very dependent upon who you get, some of the folks are really nice, some not so much. This year, we initially got an old (125K+ miles) Impala that was new to their fleet, and within 24 hours we were returning it for a cracked radiator and flattening tire. We brought it back, they were really nice, and gave us a free upgrade to a small SUV. The car we got worked great, but was infested with roaches. You’re in Hawaii, so roaches are something you just have to accept, but we literally had to strip out all the carpets, vacuum, spray with roach spray, and we still saw a few survivors everyday for the rest of our trip.
So, if you want a used, cheap car that will get you places and won’t attract attention, Island Cars is the place to go, just know that you’ll get what you pay for.

I have no problem driving older cars with quirks and was looking forward to saving some money on our rental car while in Kauai, so I made a reservation with Island Cars who offered a used SUV for less then half of what the national chains were charging. Island Cars should change its name to Island Rent a Wreck. The Vehicles we were offered were trashed, literally, as if using a vacuum to clean out debit from the last 6 months or a screwdriver to tighten the loose screws was to much to ask of them. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for.
After much hesitation and objections from my wife and kids, we were going to give it a try and we loaded our bags into the back of the Mitsubishi Montero. My kids couldn’t find the seat belts in the torn and worn back seat, so I looked by lifting the seat to find a party going on in the trash left behind by others, roaches and ants were running for cover. Really, this s how they clean their cars?
With my wife and kids in tears, we got our bags out as quickly as we could. The woman behind the counter seemed offended that we weren’t appreciative of the value she was providing and told us to call a cab.
We walked with our bags a couple blocks to National Car Rental where Justine offered us our choice of several SUV’s. We rented a new Dodge Durango Limited from National for twice the price of the wreck at Island rent a roach mobile. Worth every penny, thank you National and thank you Justine, you saved our Kauai vacation.

I called one day before I needed a cheap vehicle. They had what I requested when I showed up to pick up the car. The appearance wasn’t that great (it had dent marks on the whole passenger side), but heck it ran and took me to where I needed to go without stalling. It took us all the way up to Kokee State Park without a hitch! It had power windows and sliding side doors (for a mini van). A/​C worked good, too!
I suggest after paying for the rental to ask for a receipt (because they didn’t offer me one). I got a call the next day saying I needed to pay for the rest of my time as per their records I only paid for one day. I had to explain to the girl (her name was Jade) that I paid in full at the time of arrival. After that explanation she realized it was a mistake and apologized. Overall, I would recommend this place if you want something that is cheap and will take you around Kauai without paying an arm and a leg and don’t mind the appearance of the vehicle! Thank you Island Cars LLC!

Excellent value! We saved tons of $$$ and had a very capable 2004 Honda Odyssey. It isn’t the newest but I’d rather spend my money on shave ice.
Good customer service and no hassles.

My girlfriend and I spent time in Oahu and rented a car for three days. Then went to Kauai for nine, called a cab and dropped us off Island Cars. «The cab didn’t take cards, we paid cash + tip.» The lady at desk was in such a good mood, laughing n all smiles. When we paid we were 3 $ short «discount if paying with cash» and our flight left before they opened. The lady said «it’s okay just park in the lot. Leave the keys under the seat, and the 3 $ leave it in the car.» What? Yep so trusting and great vibes. The price was less then the cost of three days in Waikiki. 200 $ for nine days. Yeah cheep! The car had character for sure, we blended in with the locals.
Would recommend it to any young travelers trying to save there money for the fun stuff!

You’re kidding if you’re driving a BMW on Kauai. It’s a jungle out there. Get a normal car.
We picked up a Nissan Altima that got great MPG. I only gave them a days notice, and they still had cars available. No A/​C but none needed — we drove with the windows for the entire trip. You’re getting sandy and sweaty and salty anyways — our Altima held up just fine. It came dinged up, but that ensured we wouldn’t have any break-​ins during our beach forays.
They have sedans, SUVs, and 4x4s in their parking lot. I think I also saw a tank.