It may not feel like it to Chicago-area drivers, but Illinois is the third least expensive state to operate a vehicle, according to a study released Monday by personal finance site Bankrate.com.



Illinois' drivers spend on average $343 a year in repairs, $805 in insurance and $852 in gasoline, for a grand total of about $2,000 in yearly costs, which puts Illinois just below Ohio and Iowa, named the cheapest state at $1,942. (Iowa has the cheapest insurance rates in the country, Bankrate said, and car repairs are also relatively inexpensive.)