Australia's love of big vehicles comes with big costs

Household transport costs are rising in Australia, a new report says, fuelled by big vehicles. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)

Australian households spend more than $450 a week on private transport - and as much as $563 in one capital city - as prices in the sector continue to rise, a report shows.

But consumers' choice of vehicles could be the major factor in accelerating price rises, with large SUVs and utes soaring in popularity and costing significantly more than the passenger cars they replace.