Root Auto Insurance Review: Using Technology to Reward Responsible Driving Behavior

This auto insurer is a good fit for: People with a good driving record and responsible driving behavior.

Root car insurance snapshot

Pricing

Root's rates are generally more affordable than many of its competitors. This is because the company monitors driving behavior and only insures those who demonstrate safe habits behind the wheel.

Discounts

Root's auto insurance premiums are based on a driver's behavior. Driving safely can result in lower premiums. But the company doesn't offer many standard auto insurance discounts, like saving for having certain vehicle safety features.

Perks

Those who are comfortable sharing their personal driving data with Root could find an affordable rate with the company.

Customer service

Root doesn't appear in large auto insurance satisfaction surveys, like those conducted by J.D. Power, so it's tough to say how its service stacks up to its competitors. Online reviews appear to be mixed.

Root auto insurance at a glance

Root figures out a driver's monthly premium costs with their special app and driving test. Here's how it happens:

• The driver downloads the Root test drive app.
• They drive around for a few weeks with the app (or longer if they only drive a few miles a day).
• The app keeps a scorecard showing how the motorist is doing.
• The app records things like how gently the driver comes to sudden stops, if they ease into turns, and whether they avoid nighttime driving, for example.
• At the end of the test drive, the user is given an overall score of up to 10.
• Root bases the driver's rate primarily on that test drive score.

The company explains it by calling their system "fair," saying that good drivers should not have to pay more to cover the expenses of bad drivers.

Because it insures good to excellent drivers, Roots rates tend to be lower (sometimes considerably lower) than its competitors.

Coverage options:

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Rental car
• Uninsured motorist
• Underinsured motorist
• Roadside assistance
• Personal injury
• Medical payments

Top perks

The better someone drives, the more they save

A driver's premium is based specifically on their driving behavior, so a motorist can adjust that behavior to snag the lowest rates.

Policyholders don't pay higher premiums to cover bad drivers

An individual's rates are determined by Root's driving test. With most other insurers, a driver pays a higher premium to protect against the losses incurred by poor drivers.

Drivers can save real money

Root's promise to save a motorist up to $900 a year on auto insurance means more money to save and invest.

What could be improved

May feel a little like "Big Brother"

Root bases its initial premium quote on a driving test, and its app tracks a person's driving behavior day in and day out, unless they shut it off. That means Root knows where a user is whenever they're in the car.

Rates can rise

When it's time for a policy to renew, Root looks at the motorist's driving record for the previous six months. If their driving slipped for any reason, their rates could increase.

For filing claims from a phone, but without driver tracking: Progressive stands out from the crowd. Progressive's app lets drivers file claims and make payments, right from their smartphones. In addition, Progressive's discounts can save a driver an average of $130 per year. Progressive also provides one of the most competitive rates for drivers with a single DUI.  

For a company with deep discounts: Check out Geico. In addition to low rates, Geico offers some of the best customer service in the business which makes Geico customers a happy bunch. In fact, 88% of Geico customers say they would recommend the car insurer to a friend.

There is no specific set premium. But because Root appeals to drivers with good driving records, the average rates are lower than competitors.

Drivers can save money with Root a few ways:

• Bundle home and auto
• Stay off the phone when driving
• Potential premium savings of $900 a year for good drivers

Policy types

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Rental car
• Uninsured motorist
• Underinsured motorist
• Roadside assistance
• Personal injury
• Medical payments

Coverage types

Currently, the only vehicles Root insures are automobiles. But the company also offers renters and homeowners insurance for those hoping to bundle their policies with the same provider.

While the Better Business Bureau gives Root an A+ rating, customers seem less pleased. With a few hundred reviews, visitors to the BBB site give the company 1.27 out of 5 stars. The majority of complaints involve raised rates and dropped policies.

The insurer hasn't featured in any large-scale customer satisfaction surveys, like those conducted by J.D. Power, so it's a little difficult to estimate how its service stacks up to its competitors.

Root auto insurance is best suited for people who:

• Are safe drivers and want to benefit financially from their driving behavior
• Don't mind having their driving habits tracked
• Enjoy new, innovative ways of doing business

Root readily admits that it's "not for everybody," but for drivers who work with it, there are savings to be had. If you're looking for a better fit, check out our list of the best car insurance companies.