MetLife vs. Root: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Root offers significantly less expensive prices than MetLife
• MetLife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Root Insurance
• Root has more affordable premiums in AZ

MetLife or Root: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to MetLife or Root for your next policy, but between the two, which one will offer you cheaper prices?

As you can see, Root is quite a bit cheaper than MetLife, with premiums averaging $65 a month compared to $340 with MetLife when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Root will be the more affordable option for every single driver. After all, auto insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your credit score, where you call home, or even your age (among other things). So, at the end of the day, rates from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if MetLife or Root is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

MetLife vs. Root: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

MetLife and Root only compete against each other in Arizona, where Root offers the cheaper average premiums. Root drivers tend to pay about $302 per month less on average compared to drivers who use MetLife for their car insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just your home state. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance rates of any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Root save over 85% a month compared to those who use MetLife. It's worth noting that MetLife offers car insurance in 44 different states compared to Root's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for MetLife policyholders decrease around $500 and Root's prices reduce about $85 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the most affordable auto insurance premiums out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for insurance.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between MetLife and Root? Root gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older more than 70% less expensive than the national average for MetLife.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single drivers than they are for married drivers. That's because policies for married policyholders generally cover more than one vehicle, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Root premiums coming in at around a quarter of MetLife's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - Root offers the cheapest average rates.

MetLife or Root: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision, which means they'll normally end up paying more for insurance than women.

Usually, women see prices almost $30 per month cheaper with MetLife, and about $2 less with Root.

When it comes to the lowest premiums for each gender, Root comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average rates $288 less for men and $262 cheaper for women.

MetLife vs. Root: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, auto insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Root has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $46. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Root again has the edge, with policies averaging around $84 a month to MetLife's $466.

Is MetLife or Root Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use MetLife for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Root policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 15%.

But Root is usually the less expensive option for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records, offering rates that are $163 and $212 more affordable, respectively, compared to MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through MetLife can expect to see about an $148 -- or around 40% -- rise in their insurance prices. Drivers who use Root for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $22 (or 28%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, Root offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $79 compared to MetLife's $368.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even an accident. MetLife drivers usually see a 55% climb in their auto insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Root will generally increase premiums by around 0%.

Root has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $57 per month, but it's worth noting that MetLife's average rates come from 44 states compared to just one for Root, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact MetLife and Root Rates?

Did you know many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it will come into play for a lot of drivers.

Insurance carriers argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking at MetLife and Root specifically, which carrier has the cheapest premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Root will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Root comes in more than 75.68 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 78% with Root compared to average prices from MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Root typically offers lower premiums than MetLife when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 81% per month less with Root compared to MetLife, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 85% monthly.

Is MetLife or Root Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly rates. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Root charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for MetLife, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $3 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Root is the cheaper carrier.

MetLife or Root: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Normally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

Root tends to offer the most affordable prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $58 a month with Root compared to MetLife's $299. People in suburban areas pay a monthly price of around $60 with Root compared to $333 with MetLife. In urban areas, Root's average rates are about $77 a month compared to MetLife's $389.

MetLife vs. Root Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you can take advantage of or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts MetLife and Root offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

MetLife knocks Root out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Root's five.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a good driver and discounts for being a homeowner. MetLife also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, academic, and more.

On the other hand, Root has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like auto-steer discounts, paid in full discounts, and paperless discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is MetLife or Root Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your car insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance carrier is the best company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Root might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates increase.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles annually.

MetLife might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance company.
• You're looking for discounts -- MetLife has the most.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between MetLife and Root and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of companies, not just MetLife and Root. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

MetLife vs. Root FAQs

Is MetLife or Root cheaper?

Root is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $65 per month with Root and $340 for MetLife. However, that doesn't mean Root will be the cheapest carrier for each policyholder, since there are a bunch of different factors that are considered when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, MetLife or Root?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile.

Why do MetLife and Root offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Factors such as gender, age, where your home is, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both MetLife and Root use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if MetLife or Root is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't MetLife or Root at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.