The UK bank, which compiles a well-regarded monthly car price index, has launched the site in conjunction with a number of independent third parties, including What Car? magazine, the Reg Vardy dealership network, used car franchise Fish4Cars, online car retailer Autobytel, and CAP Network for vehicle data and valuations.

In advance of the launch, A&L commissioned research to find out exactly what makes the average motorist tick.

“We really wanted to know what information people wanted to help them buy or sell a car,” said Andrew Robinson of Alliance & Leicester. “What we found was that the top priorities were not 0-60mph performance times or style guides but hard independent information on safety, reliability and running costs and that’s why we’ve made these key features of the site.”

Top priorities included safety (96%), running and servicing costs (86%), the reliability of the dealer (83%) and environmental factors (73%).

The research also implied a requirement for a one-stop source of information for car buyers, says Robinson.

Smartermotoring.com takes the motorist through every aspect from deciding on a budget, securing the finance and insurance through to finding a car and comparing it with other models in the same class. The site also features the Parker's Price Guide to help motorists check pricing.

“We know that consumers want independent advice, so we have brought together a range of experts so that site visitors can review which advice suits their individual situation," says Robinson. "Our broad spectrum of contributors allows smartermotoring.com to provide the one-stop-shop approach that we found people wanted."