Reviews Report
- Reviews.com scores Root car insurance a 4.6 out of 5 based on overall coverage, pricing, and customer satisfaction.
- Root auto insurance is a usage-based car insurance company that charges premiums based on miles driven.
- Policyholders have the option to bundle their car insurance with homeowners or renters insurance.
Root is a newer auto insurance company, emerging in the 2015 usage-based insurance (UBI) market with a new approach to traditional auto insurance. Root uses telematics to assess a driver’s behaviors and then sets premiums based upon determined risk, also factoring total miles traveled.
It is too new of a provider to qualify for ratings from leading industry scoring providers, such as AM Best for financial strength and J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction ratings. However, its expansion into the home and rental insurance markets shows continued growth. It also makes bundling your insurance a breeze, so you can collect the savings if you hold multiple policies with the same provider.
With this in mind, we analyzed and reviewed Root car insurance based on a series of critical factors, including the types of coverage available, pricing, discounts, accessibility, availability, and claims processing. Before you buy or renew your insurance policies, you may find it helpful to know how Root insurance stacks up in 2021.
Root Insurance Overview
For drivers who have confidence in their safe driving abilities, Root auto insurance may be worth a look. It is particularly easy to get started with an online quote and download the Root car insurance app, which measures driving habits for a couple weeks before a car insurance rate is determined. Unlike many other car insurance companies, premiums are based on current driving habits rather than past driving or credit history.
Although not yet rated by AM Best or J.D. Power, Root did receive a favorable insurance review from S&P Global. S&P Global points out that based upon direct premiums written, Root car insurance was the “third-fastest-growing auto insurer in the U.S. in 2018.
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Root Car Insurance Highlights
Root’s Car Insurance Bundling Discounts for Cheaper Insurance
Root offers homeowners insurance in certain states with a state-by-state product listing on its website. However, some policies may only be available to someone who already has a Root car insurance policy. With that in mind, Root can offer additional savings on your policy when you bundle your auto insurance with home, renters, or condo insurance.
The first step in the bundling process is to check the Root website to determine whether both car and home insurance is offered in your state. Either way, it is always a good idea to check availability with a Root representative, because the website may not reflect the most recent updates in availability.
Root Car Insurance vs. The Competition
| Provider | Reviews.com Score | J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction* | AM Best | Number of Available Discounts** |
| Root | 4.6 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Travelers | 4.2 | 861 | A+ | 14 |
| Geico | 4.8 | 833 | A++ | 16 |
| Auto-Owners | 4.4 | 845 | A++ | 26 |
Information accurate as of September 2021
*J.D. Power’s 2021 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study average rating across regions. Based on a 1,000-point scale.
**Discounts available may vary depending upon state requirements and driver eligibility.
Root vs. Travelers
Both Root and Travelers offer driving behavior-based car insurance. Travelers is one of the largest carriers in the country and offers standard comprehensive coverage with a wide range of options and discounts to customize plans.
Additionally, with Travelers, you can enroll in the IntelliDrive program to measure driving behavior over a 90-day period and receive a premium discount for safe driving. Root car insurance is “all-in” with usage-based car insurance, helping safe drivers save, although more robust coverage may be limited. For the best rates, you can obtain complete quotes from both Root and Travelers using all available telematic options to compare.
Root vs. Geico
This is the classic David and Goliath comparison between Root, a high-tech startup available in a limited number of states, and Geico, one of the largest and best-known car insurance companies available everywhere in the United States.
Geico offers far more extensive coverage options and specific discounts, as well as a user-friendly website that allows an applicant to obtain quotes quickly. With Root car insurance, there may be an opportunity to achieve significant savings with good driving behavior, although users may find a difference in the customer service and attention they will likely receive with Geico.
Root vs. Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners is a higher rated company than Root in both financial strength and customer satisfaction, since Root has not beeing rated by these third-party agencies. Both Root and Auto-Owners receive excellent ratings from Reviews.com, although they both have different strengths.
With Auto-Owners, users may be able to obtain affordable, customized coverage and discounts through direct representative contact. On the other hand, with Root auto insurance, customers have the ability to control their options through technology and may potentially find lower premiums based on good driving behavior.
Root Car Insurance FAQ
Methodology
We evaluated Root car insurance based on discounts, coverage, online resources, financial strength, and customer satisfaction to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best car insurance reviews. To compare car insurance companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
- Discounts: Auto insurance companies that advertised more discounts received higher scores in our methodology.
- Financial Stability: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each car insurance company’s financial stability.
- Customer Satisfaction: J.D. Power ranks car insurance companies by customer satisfaction, so we used its 2021 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study to compare the average rating of insurers across all regions.
- Coverage: Car insurance companies were awarded higher scores for advertised coverages beyond the body liability, property liability, collision, and personal injury protection.
- Online Resources: We reviewed the digital resources of each car insurance company and awarded higher scores to insurers with mobile claim estimates, digital insurance cards, and more.
About the Authors
Lena Borrelli is a freelance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last year, she has covered insurance, finance, and more. She has been featured in TIME with NextAdvisor, Bankrate, The Simple Dollar, MYMOVE, Million Mile Secrets, Coverage.com and more. My favorite article is “How to Invest in Real Estate During COVID?” on Reviews.com.
