Metromile Car Insurance 2022

Metromile Car Insurance Review for 2022

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Potentially cheap for people who drive less than 10,000 miles a year.
• Pet injury protection is included in most full-coverage insurance policies.

Cons

• Your driving will need to be monitored at all times, with few exceptions.
• Has far more complaints than other companies of a similar size.
• Likely not a good option for people who drive longer distances regularly.

Full Review

Metromile exclusively sells pay-per-mile car insurance policies. The company estimates that people who drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year can save hundreds of dollars annually. If you don’t drive much and don’t mind having your driving tracked, Metromile’s pay-per-mile coverage might be what you’re looking for.

In November 2021, Lemonade announced it will acquire Metromile in 2022.

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How much does Metromile auto insurance cost?

Metromile’s car insurance rates are broken into two parts: a base rate and a per-mile rate, typically a few cents per mile. The base rate and cost per mile are initially determined using many of the factors other insurers use, such as age, driving history, and credit. Your monthly cost equals the per-mile rate multiplied by the number of miles you drove in the past month, added to your base rate.

Using a device plugged into your car’s diagnostic port, Metromile’s app tracks your driving behavior including mileage, average speed, cornering or braking, and the time of day you drive.

Drivers in certain states may see a change in rates based on driving behavior. For example, in Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, and Virginia, Metromile uses average speed, time of day, and the day of the week to help determine rates. In Virginia, time spent per trip is also considered.

Metromile announced in May 2021 that it will start letting policyholders pay their premiums and receive claim payouts in bitcoin.

Will you save money with Metromile?

It depends on your base and per-mile rates, as well as how much you drive. Let’s say you have a base rate of $40 per month and pay 5 cents per mile.

• If you drive 500 miles in a month, your total premium would be (500 x $0.05) + $40, which totals $65 ($25 + $40).
• If you drive twice as much in a month, or about the average 1,000 miles, your total would be $90 ($50 + $40).

But say your Metromile base rate is $60 and your per-mile rate is 10 cents.

• Your cost for a month in which you drove 500 miles would be $110 ($50 + $60).
• If you drove 1,000 miles in the same month it would be $160.

If you get a quote from Metromile, it’s smart to estimate your costs like this for a month’s worth of typical driving to know whether you’ll save money.

» MORE: Pay-per-mile car insurance: What you need to know

Although you pay monthly, a base rate from Metromile is actually a daily rate multiplied by the number of days in each month, so the cost is slightly lower in shorter months.

To get a better estimate of how much you’d save, potential customers can test out Metromile through the company’s Ride Along with feature. After you enter some basic information, Metromile will track your driving for 17 days through its app. Based on these results, the company will tell you your expected monthly bill. You are under no obligation to switch to Metromile after trying Ride Along.

If you take the occasional road trip, don’t worry; your habit won’t result in a staggering insurance bill. Policyholders in seven of the eight states that Metromile serves — Arizona, California, Illinois, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington — aren’t charged for over 250 miles per day; in New Jersey, the cap is 150 miles.

Metromile auto insurance coverage

When you’re shopping for car insurance, it’s important to understand what car insurance coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. Most states require car insurance in order to drive a vehicle. Although minimum coverage requirements vary from state to state, they generally include liability insurance and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

If you want extra protection, you may be interested in full coverage insurance. Full coverage isn’t a specific policy type; it’s a combination of coverage types, like liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance.

Check out the most common types of car insurance coverage below to see how they work: