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Short answer: By Google ratings, the best-rated car rental at Kona Airport is National (4.6), with Enterprise at 4.5 and Alamo at 4.4 on over 2,600 reviews. Avis and Sixt rate 4.1. Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Payless and Dollar sit at 3.5 or below. Off the airport, Hawaii Lifted Jeep Rentals and Big Island Jeep Rental both hold a 5.0 on hundreds of reviews.
Searching for the best car rental at Kona Airport mostly turns up forum threads and booking sites. Below are the public Google rating and review count for every rental company serving Kona Airport (KOA) and for the bigger local Big Island 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 Kona Airport, ranked by Google rating
The official Kona Airport rental page lists Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty. None of them has a counter in the terminal. You take a shuttle from the center median across from baggage claim A and B to each company’s lot. Sixt and Payless are not on that list, but their Google listings are named for the airport or share an address with Avis and Budget, so they are included here.
| Company | Google rating | Reviews | Parent company |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 4.6 | 867 | Enterprise Mobility |
| Enterprise | 4.5 | 1,499 | Enterprise Mobility |
| Alamo | 4.4 | 2,653 | Enterprise Mobility |
| Avis | 4.1 | 2,018 | Avis Budget Group |
| Sixt | 4.1 | 544 | Sixt |
| Hertz | 3.5 | 1,928 | Hertz |
| Budget | 3.1 | 3,481 | Avis Budget Group |
| Thrifty | 2.6 | 1,085 | Hertz |
| Payless | 2.5 | 110 | Avis Budget Group |
| Dollar | 2.4 | 650 | Hertz |
Ratings and review counts are from each company’s Kona Airport listing on Google Maps, checked October 15, 2026. They move over time, so treat them as a snapshot.
What the ratings show
The three Enterprise Mobility brands, National, Enterprise and Alamo, take the top three spots at Kona, all at 4.4 or higher. The three brands owned by Hertz Global Holdings, Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar, rate between 2.4 and 3.5.
The Avis Budget Group brands split again. Avis rates 4.1, Budget 3.1 and Payless 2.5, and all three share one address in the Google listings. Budget has the most reviews of any company at Kona, nearly 3,500, so its 3.1 is a well-tested number. A low rating is a reason to read the most recent reviews before you book.
Picking up at Kona (KOA)? Compare prices across these companies for your dates.
Best-rated local Big Island rental companies
Local companies have no counter at the airport. Each one handles pickup its own way, so check before you book. These are the local car and Jeep rental companies in Kailua-Kona with at least 100 Google reviews:
| Company | Google rating | Reviews | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Lifted Jeep Rentals | 5.0 | 788 | Kailua-Kona |
| Big Island Jeep Rental | 5.0 | 540 | Kailua-Kona |
| Big Island Buggy (dune buggies) | 5.0 | 192 | Kailua-Kona |
| Mauka Hualalai Rentals | 4.9 | 176 | Kailua-Kona |
Same Google Maps snapshot, October 15, 2026.
Two of the four rent Jeeps, and Big Island Buggy rents street-legal dune buggies, so check what kind of vehicle you are booking. Big Island Jeep Rental describes itself on its own site as very close to Kona Airport, and Mauka Hualalai Rentals says it delivers cars to the airport. With any local company, check the pickup method, the mileage limit and which roads the agreement allows.
How to pick from this list
- Want the most reliable airport pickup? National, Enterprise and Alamo have the strongest ratings among the shuttle-served companies.
- 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.
- Planning Mauna Kea or Saddle Road? Read the agreement before you pick a company. See the Saddle Road rental car guide and the Mauna Kea visitor station guide.
- Thinking about Turo? It runs under its own airport rules. See Turo in Hawaii vs a rental car.
Before you drive off
The Big Island is big. Kona to Hilo takes hours, and gas stations thin out on the long stretches. See how long it takes to drive around the Big Island before you plan the days, and the Waipio Valley guide if it’s on your list.
For the shuttles, the lots and where to return the car, see the full Kona Airport car rental guide. Still deciding if you need a car? Start with do you need a rental car on the Big Island.
Heading to another island? Compare the rental companies at Kahului, Lihue and Honolulu airports too.
Flying into Hilo instead? See Hilo car rental desks and ratings.
Arriving by cruise ship? See car rental from the Kona cruise pier.
Want a Jeep for Mauna Kea? See Big Island Jeep rental companies.
Compare rental rates for Kona 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.