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finder.com's rating: 4 / 5
★★★★★
Bottom line: Low-mileage, safe drivers can take advantage of low rates if you live in Root’s service area, though you’ll have to prove your driving skills first.
Included free
Roadside assistance
New car protection
Accident forgiveness
States served | Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia |
---|---|
Roadside assistance | Included free |
Accident forgiveness | Yes |
New car protection | No |
Pay schedule | 6 months, monthly |
Claims methods | Online, Email, Phone |
Rideshare coverage | Yes |
SR-22 support |
Yes |
Anti-theft device discount | Yes |
---|---|
Bundling discount | Yes |
Defensive driving discount | Yes |
Good student discount | No |
Loyalty discount | Yes |
Homeowner discount | Yes |
Military discount | No |
Safety device discount | Yes |
Special employment discount | No |
Usage-based discount | Yes |
Review by
Roslyn McKenna is an insurance publisher for Finder, where she's driven to help people get a great deal on insurance to protect their families and finances. Roslyn earned a BA in writing and communications from Maryville College and has written professionally for more than a decade, showing up on Bankrate, MSN and Reader's Digest.
Founded in 2015, Root Insurance is a legitimate insurance company accredited by the BBB and backed by state insurance funds, just like big national insurers. This pay-as-you-go insurance startup may reward your safe driving with lower rates than you’ll find elsewhere. Root’s premise is that good drivers shouldn’t have to pay high rates for car insurance.
First, you’ll prove your driving skills with a test drive through its app that monitors your driving for a few weeks. Then you’ll get a rate based on how much and how well you drive. But if your driving’s not up to snuff, Root will decline offering you a policy after your test drive is over.
Unlike traditional insurers, Root’s prices are weighted based on your test drive, instead of focusing on demographic factors like your credit score, age and gender.
For qualifying customers, Root Insurance offers a string of discounts and rewards baked into your final rate.
Root’s premise is rewarding good drivers with low rates, so it doesn’t offer the same discounts as other car insurers, like for good students. However, you can get a few discounts if you qualify.
Many drivers who switch to Root report increased coverage limits for a lower cost than their previous insurance, according to several Reddit threads.
The only caveat: Root currently doesn’t offer gap insurance, which protects you if your car is totaled and your claim check is less than your car loan balance.
Yes, you can get full coverage through Root. Full coverage policies typically include liability plus collision and comprehensive coverage.
However, a full coverage policy doesn’t include every kind of coverage — you may pay extra for coverage like rental car reimbursement.
Yes, Root offers renters insurance and home policies in a select number of states. You get 5% off renters insurance premiums if you bundle car and renters insurance, or 10% off your home insurance by bundling car and home policies.
However, before buying Root home insurance, you have to start a car insurance policy with the company first.
Overall, customers have a positive experience with Root Insurance, especially with their rates — a few say they’ve saved over $100 a month.
Negative reviews focus on inaccurate driving scores during the test drive and billing issues. As of October 2020, Root earns a little under 2 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
However, two signs of solid customer support is its A+ BBB rating and its accreditation by the agency. The high rating shows that Root reps have replied to negative complaints on the site.
Root isn’t the only usage-based insurance company. Drivers have saved up to 40% with telematics policies from national companies, like Progressive Snapshot, Allstate DriveWise, Liberty Mutual RightTrack or Nationwide SmartRide.
Consider your options before deciding which is for you.
Like many usage-based or telematics insurers, Root sets your rates based on how you drive. Using your smartphone’s accelerometer and GPS, the Root app determines your speed, mileage, hours driven, braking distance and more.
While factors like age and marital status are considered, your driving score is weighed more heavily than with traditional car insurance companies. Safe, low-mileage drivers often report that they save a lot of money by switching to Root, as do young or high-risk drivers who can’t get low rates elsewhere.
Your test drive is the largest factor that Root considers when putting together your policy and price, except in California where telematics-based rates are illegal.
To a lesser extent, Root also considers your driving record, certain demographics and your overall credit history — factors that more traditional insurers use. However, Root has nixed including occupation and education in your score, and it plans to cut credit score from its rating factors by 2025.
If your driving doesn’t meet Root’s requirements, Root won’t offer a price or let you open a policy. You can’t retake your test drive to sign up, a letdown if you don’t have another car insurance option lined up.
That depends. Most drivers can’t get instant coverage. If you’re insured but are considering options, stick with your current insurer until you complete the test drive, which could take up to 30 days.
Some qualifying drivers will get 60 days of temporary coverage while they complete the test drive. If you like your final rate and experience with Root, you can cancel your current insurance and let your lender know you’ve switched directly through the Root app.
You typically complete your test drive in two to four weeks. You can check on your time left in the app. Some drivers report getting a quote after a week or two, while others go as long as six weeks. The average is three weeks, depending on how much you drive.
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our insurance team analyzes car insurance providers to help you choose the best car insurance for you. We rank insurers from one to five stars based on key factors including customer satisfaction, policy options, price, billing, claims, and support. We create these rankings to help you narrow down an insurance provider that best suits your budget and coverage needs.