Yeah, I get what you mean about every mile counting. Honestly, I used to stress about “wasted” miles too, but after a year with Metromile, it’s not a big deal. Here’s my take:
- Most companies just count everything. No way to flag service/test drive miles (at least not with mine).
- I drive a lot for work (and, uh, sometimes for fun), so I thought I’d get hammered on price. But even with the extra miles, it’s still cheaper than my old plan.
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— 100% true. Unless your mechanic is your new BFF, it evens out.“unless you’re constantly in and out of the shop, those extra miles probably don’t make a huge difference over the course of a year.”
- If you’re only driving occasionally, you’ll probably come out ahead. Just don’t do what I did and forget to plug in the tracker... they’ll bill you for max miles. Rookie mistake.
Mileage-based isn’t perfect, but for low-mileage folks, it’s hard to beat.
I’ve had similar concerns about “wasted” miles, especially when it comes to things like driving around the block after a repair or letting a friend borrow the car for errands. It’s true—most of these companies just count every mile, no matter what it’s for. I do wish there was a way to flag non-personal use, but I guess that’d get complicated fast.
One thing I’ve noticed is that being super diligent about plugging in the tracker is key. I nearly got charged for a full month once because I forgot after a tire rotation... lesson learned. The pricing still works out in my favor since I don’t drive much outside of school and work, but if you have unpredictable driving patterns, it can be a little stressful.
I also agree that unless you’re constantly at the mechanic, those extra miles don’t add up as much as you’d think. Still, I find myself double-checking my trips more than I probably need to—old habits die hard. Overall, it’s been cost-effective for me, but there’s definitely a learning curve if you’re used to traditional insurance.
I totally get what you mean about the “wasted” miles. I had this exact debate with myself after my neighbor borrowed my car for a Costco run and came back with 12 extra miles on the tracker. I was like, “Congrats, you just cost me $2 in insurance.” Not that I’m petty or anything... but I definitely checked the app.
I nearly got charged for a full month once because I forgot after a tire rotation... lesson learned.
Been there. I once left the tracker in my glovebox after an oil change and didn’t realize until I got a “we can’t detect your mileage” email. Cue the panic. Now I treat that little dongle like it’s my car’s pacemaker—if it’s not plugged in, I’m not moving.
I do wish there was a way to separate out “non-personal” miles, like when you’re just test-driving after a repair or whatever. But yeah, I can see how that would turn into a paperwork nightmare. Imagine trying to explain to customer service that your 8-mile detour was just to make sure your brakes weren’t squeaking anymore.
For me, the biggest adjustment was realizing how much I actually drive. I thought I was a “low mileage” person until I started seeing the numbers add up from all those little trips—grocery store, gym, random late-night taco runs. It’s sneaky. Still, it’s been cheaper than my old policy, so I can’t complain too much.
I’ve been using Metromile for about a year now. It’s worked out, but the tracker is a little finicky sometimes. Once it logged a phantom trip while my car was parked at work all day. Customer service fixed it, but it made me wonder how often that happens.
Anyway, I agree—there’s a learning curve, and you definitely start obsessing over every mile at first. But after a while, you just kind of accept it and hope your friends don’t ask to borrow your car too often.
