Mile Auto Insurance Review (2024)

Standard car insurance uses various factors to determine how much you’ll pay for your coverage. While the traditional model works for many people, low-mileage drivers often feel like they’re overpaying for insurance they rarely need.

Mile Auto is one of the few pay-as-you-go car insurance companies offering an alternative way of buying car insurance. Rather than paying a flat monthly fee, you only pay for the miles you drive.

Mile Auto isn’t the right company for everyone — only drivers who put fewer than 10,000 miles annually on their car should consider buying Mile insurance. However, drivers looking for low-mileage car insurance that doesn’t use a tracking device might find Mile Auto is their best option.

Read on to learn more about Mile Auto insurance and if it’s the right choice for your coverage needs. Then, compare rates and policies with other pay-per-mile companies to find the best plan for you.

What You Should Know About Mile Auto

Founded over a decade ago, Mile Auto insurance is underwritten by the older company, Spinnaker Insurance. Though Spinnaker has more experience in the insurance industry, it also receives more complaints.

In fact, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports that Spinnaker receives nine times as many complaints as similarly sized companies. However, it’s unclear how Spinnaker’s high number of complaints affects Mile auto reviews.

While it struggles with complaints, Spinnaker has an excellent rating from A.M. Best. A.M. Best rates companies on their financial strength, and Spinnaker’s A- grade means Mile won’t struggle to pay any claims you need to make.

As a pay-per-mile company, Mile insurance isn’t for everyone. However, you might find the lowest rates with Mile if you’re looking for auto insurance for infrequent drivers. Mile is currently only available in seven states, though the company plans to expand throughout the U.S.

Mile Auto Insurance Reviews

Unfortunately, Mile insurance reviews aren’t always favorable. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates companies on their ability to resolve customer complaints. Mile Auto doesn’t have a rating from the BBB, but the company site lists several complaints.

Negative reviews of Mile Auto insurance mainly focus on how hard it is to contact customer service. Mile’s customer service line is only available during business hours, Monday through Friday, and representatives are often slow to respond to requests. This combination leads to frustrating experiences for many Mile customers.

People also say the window of time Mile provides to submit odometer pictures is inconveniently small. Its lack of online options to update your payment details can also make managing your insurance challenging.

However, it’s not all bad news. Reviewers rave about how cheap their coverage is, often saying they can’t find cheaper insurance elsewhere. While its customer service leaves something to be desired, most Mile drivers report overall satisfaction with the claims process.

Mile Auto Insurance Coverage Options

Most insurance companies sell enough coverage to meet minimum insurance and full coverage needs, and Mile is no different. It doesn’t have as long a list as some competitors, but you can buy the following coverages from Mile:

• Property damage liability: This part of liability insurance covers damage you cause to other people’s property in an accident, such as cars, buildings, or fences.
• Bodily injury liability insurance: As the other half of liability insurance, this part pays for damages resulting from injuries to others when you’re at fault in an accident..
• Collision insurance: Liability insurance doesn’t cover any of your repair bills after an accident you cause. You’ll need collision insurance if you want help with your repair bills.
• Comprehensive insurance: There’s a lot more than accidents that can damage your car. Comprehensive insurance covers unexpected events like fire, extreme weather, flooding, vandalism, theft, and animal contact.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Every state selling Mile coverage requires car insurance before you can drive, but not all drivers follow the law. Uninsured motorist protects you from drivers with inadequate or no coverage.
• Personal injury protection/medical payments coverage: Medical bills after a car accident can get pricey quickly. Medical payments or personal injury protection insurance helps pay health care expenses after an accident.

These are the most basic options for car insurance you can find at most companies. Mile doesn’t have the extended insurance options as larger companies, but it offers roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement.

Mile Auto Insurance Rates Breakdown

Pay-per-mile insurance is usually cheaper for drivers who put less than 10,000 miles on their cars yearly. Even among pay-per-mile companies, Mile Auto insurance tends to offer the lowest prices.

Mile sells enough coverage to meet state minimum auto insurance requirements and full coverage needs. The amount you pay for your coverage varies by several factors, but the average driver pays about $44 monthly for minimum insurance.

For full coverage auto insurance, Mile drivers pay about $65 a month, a staggering 93% less than average rates. However, these rates are typical for low-mileage drivers — you’ll see much higher prices if you drive more than 10,000 miles per year.

Other factors affecting your auto insurance from Mile include your location, age, and driving history, but your annual mileage is the most important.

Understanding Mile Auto Insurance

Standard insurance companies calculate a flat fee based on your unique characteristics. Once your rate gets calculated, you can split your payments into monthly increments or pay in full.

Mile Auto insurance doesn’t work like a standard company. Instead, Mile offers pay-per-mile coverage, meaning you pay for each mile you drive. So the fewer miles you drive, the less you’ll pay.

To start, Mile calculates a base rate. Your base rate is the amount you’ll pay for car insurance every month, no matter how many miles you drive.

Mile sets your base rate the same way standard companies craft rates. The company considers your age, gender, location, coverage needs, vehicle type, and driving history to determine your base rate. Then, you’ll get a price for every mile you drive.

For example, a common base rate with Mile is $35 a month. If your per-mile rate is $0.05 per mile and you drive 400 miles in a month, your monthly bill would be $55.

Most pay-per-mile insurance companies track your mileage through a smartphone app or a device you plug into your car. Mile Auto takes a slightly different approach — you’ll need to submit a photo of your odometer once a month.

You don’t need to worry about remembering to submit your photos since Mile sends reminders through email and text. You simply need to click on the link Mile sends you to submit your monthly photo and follow the instructions. Learn more about how your annual mileage affects auto insurance.

Considerations When Planning a Long Road Trip

Low-mileage insurance is great for your daily routine, but what happens if you want to spend the weekend out of town? U.S. drivers frequently put hundreds of miles on their cars in a single road trip, which can cause your rates to double or more.

Pay-per-mile companies usually limit the number of daily miles they charge to avoid making it cheaper to get insurance from a standard company. Mile Auto isn’t clear about its policy towards road trips, but similar competitors like Metromile car insurance cap daily miles at 250.

When you buy pay-per-mile insurance, check with a representative before you go on a long trip. While Mile Auto probably has a plan for long trips, checking beforehand might save you money. Also, find out how to get a low-mileage discount.

Mile Auto Discounts Available

Since Mile Auto insurance offers low rates by charging by the mile, it doesn’t offer other discounts. So if you’re not a low-mileage driver and want to take advantage of discounts, you should consider a standard insurance company instead.

How Mile Auto Ranks Among Providers

Mile Auto insurance has few competitors for pay-per-mile coverage, so finding companies to compare can be tricky. However, you have a few options, including the following:

• Metromile Auto Insurance. Metromile is a pay-per-mile company available in eight states and is ideal for people looking for more technological options. With Metromile, you use a plug-in device to track your miles.
• Allstate Milewise. Milewise is a mileage tracking program offered by Allstate to give low-mileage drivers an option to save. Milewise is available in 21 states and uses a plug-in device paired with an app.
• Liberty Mutual ByMile. Available in 17 states, ByMile also uses a plug-in device paired with an app. ByMile is a good choice for low-mileage drivers who go on the occasional road trip.
• Nationwide SmartMiles. SmartMiles has the widest availability, covering 40 states. SmartMiles uses a plug-in device to track your miles and has some of the best customer service ratings.

Like standard car insurance, comparing your options is important when looking for pay-per-mile coverage. Another consideration is whether low-mileage insurance is right for you, but a representative can help you decide.

See if Mile Auto is Right for You

Although Mile Auto insurance struggles with its customer service, it does well with its claims process and offers some of the lowest rates for low-mileage drivers. If you drive fewer than 27 miles per day, Mile Auto insurance might be right for you.

Of course, you should still compare rates with other companies before you sign up for a policy. Mile Auto has low rates, but you might find a company better suited for your needs elsewhere.