Metromile Auto Insurance Review

Last updated on Jun 22, 2021

Reviews Report

Reviews.com scores Metromile a 4 out of 5 based on overall coverage, pricing, and customer satisfaction.
Metromile is a mileage-based premium car insurance company.
Metromile car insurance is best for low-mileage drivers in densely populated urban areas.

Metromile car insurance is among the few carriers that base premiums in part on the number of miles driven rather than the manner of driving. The company is relatively new to the market and as such, Metromile auto insurance does not have ratings with all third-party reviewers that typically score traditional car insurance companies.

With these limitations, in this Metromile review, we looked at key coverage factors including available plans and online resources for researching and obtaining quotes. We also reviewed available discounts and add-ons, overall company financial strength, and customer satisfaction. We compared Metromile car insurance with several other auto insurance companies to determine the best car insurance and cheapest car insurance carriers.

Metromile Car Insurance Overview

Reviews.com Score:

In business since:

2011

N/A

States served:

For people who drive only occasionally or for limited distances, Metromile auto insurance may be worth a look. Though premiums are based in part on the simple measurement of the distance one drives, the insurer offers standard coverage plans that are common in the industry — liability for personal injury and property damage, collision, comprehensive, and medical.

Metromile receives a 4 out of 5 Reviews.com rating, though it is not rated by AM Best or J.D. Power. Metromile is a new entrant in the auto insurance market and is a small business with relatively low revenue. Metromile is able to compete by leveraging technology enhancements such as a user-friendly app packed with features like street sweeping notifications, GPS-based car locator, car diagnostic decoders, and trip optimization highlights.

PROS

Cost savings for infrequent drivers: Premiums are partly based on mileage and can be attractive for people who don’t drive a lot.
Appeals to technology-savvy drivers: Miles are tracked in an app, making it easy for tech-savvy drivers to save on premiums.
Ease of obtaining coverage: Quotes can easily be accessed online and provide information to compare with other options.
Mobile app offers more: Keeping with its technology theme, the robust Metromile app provides added information about driving directions and parking.

CONS

Costly premiums for high-mileage drivers: The portion of the premium based on actual mileage driven will add up fast for most normal drivers.
Not available nationwide: Though Metromile plans on expanding, coverage is currently available in only eight states.
Bundling options not available: Due to the stand-alone nature of Metromile car insurance, policyholders do not have options to bundle with other policies and save.
Privacy concerns: For drivers concerned with having their driving patterns tracked, Metromile’s approach may be too great an intrusion.

Metromile Car Insurance Highlights

Coverage

Customer Experience

Discounts & Add-ons

Claims

Metromile offers these standard auto insurance coverage that help it compete with larger and more well-established car insurance companies:

Liability for personal injury and property damage
Collision
Comprehensive
Uninsured/Underinsured motorist
Medical payments

However, Metromile car insurance customers will find that it does not offer many additional coverage options typically found with larger car insurance carriers.

Metromile’s easy online and mobile app access to data and assistance are balanced by NAIC reports of increasing customer complaints between 2018 and 2020. Company representatives explained that some of these complaints reflect growing pains and underrepresent the many satisfied customers who never are noted.

Furthermore, Metromile reviews on Reddit forums are mixed. Some reviewers enjoy the low-cost mileage-based program and some of the perks of using Metromile, while some users shared that the claims process was subpar.

Discounts available with Metromile may vary by state but can include:

Vehicle alarm discount.
Discounts for safety devices on vehicles.
Anti-theft and vehicle recovery equipment discount.
Discounts for clean driving records, no at-fault accidents, or for not having any at-fault accidents.
Loyalty discount.
Senior driver discount.
Multi-vehicle discount.

A number of add-on coverage can also help customize plans:

Rental reimbursement is available for purchase if a driver has collision and comprehensive insurance on the Metromile policy.
Roadside assistance.
Pet injury protection is added at no cost, except in Washington and Virginia.
Glass repair with no deductible when glass does not need to be completely replaced.

Although Metromile had a significant number of customer complaints in 2019 and 2020 as reported by NAIC, the company has gone to great lengths to clearly explain the claim filing process on its website, walking claimants through the step-by-step process to categorize, submit and track a claim.

Metromile identifies for its policyholders four specific types of claims that can be filed – “a roadside assistance claim, a glass and windshield claim, a hit-and-run claim, or a general claim.” The site then provides specific instructions for submitting the necessary information. Advice and direction are provided for documenting a claim with photographs and initiating the repair process.

How Metromile Car Insurance Works

Metromile car insurance relies heavily on technology to assist customers in obtaining quotes and managing coverage. Detailed instructions for even the least technology-savvy customers are provided to assist in navigating the Metromile website.

Metromile charges a basic fixed monthly fee, which is determined by traditional underwriting practices that examine driving history, vehicle safety, driver age, location, and other common factors. For example, an initial quote may look something like this: $29 base rate and $0.06 per mile, which would produce this monthly bill:

$29 + ($0.06 x 1,123) = $96.38*

And drivers who drive less can save more:

$29 + ($0.06 x 500) = $59*

(Sample rates taken from Metromile’s website. Your own base quote and per-mile rate will vary.)

In addition, an insured’s vehicle will be equipped with a Metromile Pulse that will track the number of miles that are driven each month. If your vehicle remains garaged for the month, you will only pay the fixed fee. Rates per mile can be as low as $0.06 per mile and drivers are protected if they are required to drive extensively at any point. Mileage is capped at 250 miles (150 in New Jersey) per day.

Metromile Car Insurance vs. The Competition

Provider	Reviews.com Score	J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction*	AM Best	Discounts**
Metromile	4	N/A	N/A	14
Safeco	4.4	826	A	26
Root	4.6	N/A	N/A	9
SafeAuto	4.3	N/A	A	8

Information accurate as of June 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.

Metromile vs. Safeco

As a subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, the seventh-largest personal car insurance company in the country, Safeco has more resources than Metromile and receives a favorable J.D. Power ranking for customer satisfaction. On the other hand, Metromile is not ranked by J.D. Power and has received more than its fair share of customer complaints.

With these resources, Safeco offers more discount options though it does not provide the extremely low premiums that Metromile can offer for the occasional driver.

Metromile vs. Root

Both Metromile and Root compete in the mileage-based auto insurance market, though Root also bases premiums on tracked driving behaviors. Metromile was founded in 2011 and Root in 2016 and as such, neither company receives ratings from AM Best for financial strength or J.D. Power for customer satisfaction.

Root also provides homeowners and renters insurance and is, therefore, able to offer bundling options that Metromile can not provide. Metromile does however offer more discounts even though its coverage is only available in eight states while Root is offered in 20 states. If you are an infrequent driver, it makes sense to compare quotes from these companies.

Metromile vs SafeAuto

SafeAuto has been in business since 1993 and has a higher Reviews.com rating (4.3 out of 5) than Metromile (4 out of 5). SafeAuto also has established a solid reputation for serving high-risk drivers, while Metromile is focused on serving the low-mileage driver.

Safeco does not provide as many discounts compared to Metromile. While Safeco may be a good option for drivers with poor driving histories, it may not provide the best coverage for the safe driver.

Metromile Car Insurance FAQ

Methodology

We evaluated Metromile 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 coverage 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

Rick Hoel Contributing Writer

Rick Hoel is an international business attorney and legal and insurance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last several years, he has covered topics dealing with personal and commercial insurance and technology and the law.

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