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Short answer: By Google ratings, the best-rated big-brand car rental at Lihue Airport is Sixt (4.6 from about 1,500 reviews), with Enterprise and National at 4.5 and Alamo at 4.4. Avis rates 3.9. Hertz, Payless, Budget, Thrifty and Dollar all sit at 3 stars or below. Off the airport, Alii Rental Cars (4.9 on almost 2,000 reviews) and Island Cars (4.8) are the highest-rated local companies.
Searching for the best car rental at Lihue Airport mostly brings up forum threads and booking sites. Below are the public Google rating and review count for every big rental brand at Lihue Airport (LIH) and for the bigger local Kauai companies, all pulled on October 15, 2026. Reviews can’t predict your own pickup, but with hundreds or thousands per company, the gaps between brands are easy to see.
Rental companies at Lihue Airport, ranked by Google rating
The official Lihue Airport rental page lists Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National, with booths across the street from the terminal and cars parked behind each booth. Sixt, Thrifty and Payless are not on that list, but their Google listings carry the airport’s name or share an address with the airport brands, so they are included here.
| Company | Google rating | Reviews | Parent company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sixt | 4.6 | 1,467 | Sixt |
| Enterprise | 4.5 | 907 | Enterprise Mobility |
| National | 4.5 | 494 | Enterprise Mobility |
| Alamo | 4.4 | 1,716 | Enterprise Mobility |
| Avis | 3.9 | 2,913 | Avis Budget Group |
| Hertz | 3.0 | 1,374 | Hertz |
| Payless | 2.8 | 178 | Avis Budget Group |
| Budget | 2.6 | 2,752 | Avis Budget Group |
| Thrifty | 2.6 | 1,272 | Hertz |
| Dollar | 2.3 | 463 | Hertz |
Ratings and review counts are from each company’s Lihue listing on Google Maps, checked October 15, 2026. They move over time, so treat them as a snapshot. Advantage is on the airport’s list, but we found no Lihue Google Maps listing for it, so it is not rated here.
What the ratings show
The three Enterprise Mobility brands, Enterprise, National and Alamo, all rate 4.4 or 4.5 at Lihue. The three brands owned by Hertz Global Holdings, Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar, rate between 2.3 and 3.0.
The Avis Budget Group brands split. Avis rates 3.9, while Budget and Payless sit at 2.6 and 2.8. Budget and Payless share one street address in the Google listings. A low rating is a reason to read the most recent reviews before you book.
Sixt is the one big brand here that isn’t owned by one of the three US groups, and it has the top rating on the list. Its Google listing is named for Lihue Airport but gives an Oihana Street address, so check your confirmation for where pickup happens.
Picking up at Lihue (LIH)? Compare prices across these companies for your dates.
Best-rated local Kauai rental companies
Local companies don’t have booths at the airport. Each handles pickup its own way, so check before you book. Kauai has fewer large local companies than Maui, so this list uses a lower cutoff: local companies in Lihue with at least 100 Google reviews.
| Company | Google rating | Reviews | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alii Rental Cars | 4.9 | 1,943 | Lihue |
| Pineapple Express Kauai Car Rentals | 4.9 | 220 | Lihue |
| Island Cars Discount Car Rental | 4.8 | 1,514 | Lihue |
| Rent-A-Wreck Kauai | 4.5 | 144 | Lihue |
| Allsave Car Rental | 3.5 | 120 | Lihue |
Same Google Maps snapshot, October 15, 2026.
Only Avis and Budget have more Google reviews at Lihue than Alii Rental Cars, and Alii’s 4.9 is higher than any big brand’s rating. Island Cars says on its own site that most of its cars were bought from the airport companies and that its rates are discounted. With any local company, check the pickup method, the mileage rules and the car details on the booking page.
How to pick from this list
- Want the easiest pickup? Book one of the brands with a booth across from the terminal. Among those, Enterprise, National and Alamo have the strongest ratings.
- Booking the cheapest rate? If the best price is at Budget, Thrifty or Dollar, it can still be worth it. Read the most recent reviews first, photograph the car before you leave, and keep your receipts.
- Want a better-rated local option? Alii Rental Cars and Island Cars have the most reviews of the local companies. Confirm how they meet you.
- Thinking about Turo? It runs under its own airport rules. See Turo in Hawaii vs a rental car.
Before you drive off
Kauai has one main road and no way around the Na Pali Coast, so plan your return with some buffer time. See how long it takes to drive around Kauai. Heading to the North Shore? Read the Tunnels Beach parking guide and the Haena State Park reservations guide before you go.
For the booths, the shuttles and where to return the car, see the full Lihue Airport car rental guide. Still deciding if you need a car? Start with do you need a rental car on Kauai.
Heading to another island? Compare the rental companies at Kahului, Kona and Honolulu airports too.
Arriving by cruise ship at Nawiliwili? See cruise port car rental on Kauai.
Want a Jeep for dirt roads? See Kauai Jeep rental companies that allow them.
Compare rental rates for Lihue Airport →
Researched and written by Neo Pecorro. Ratings come from public Google Maps listings, and the company list comes from Hawaii Airports. Ratings change, so check the current listing before you book.
Last updated: October 15, 2026.