Edmunds.com has estimated 1,688,167 new cars and trucks will be sold in the US in December 2015 for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 17.8m.
December's forecast would lead to a number of records and milestones, Edmunds' analysts said, including:
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- With 17.5m projected sales, 2015 will top the record of 17.35m sales set in 2000.
- The best-selling December ever (surpassing the mark of 1,537,655 sales in December 2014)
- The fourth best-selling month of all time (behind 7/05, 10/01 and 8/02)
- The best-selling month of the year (1,633,909 sales in May)
- This will make December 2015 the fourth best-selling month on record, surpassing the previous December record of 1,537,655 sales registered in 2004. This month's performance will propel the industry to 17.5m sales in 2015, besting the previous record high of 17.35m new car and truck sales in 2000.
"It's truly remarkable that the auto industry is finishing off its best year ever just six years after the depths of the 'great recession'," said director of Industry analysis Jessica Caldwell. "Low-APR offers and tumbling gas prices are making it easy for shoppers to buy or lease a new car."
Edmunds predicted December sales would be a 27.9% increase from November 2015, and a 12.3% increase from December 2014. Retail SAAR would be 15.1m vehicles in December with fleet transactions accounting for 15.2% of total sales. An estimated 2.59m used cars would be sold in December, for a SAAR of 37.3m (compared to 2.75m – or a SAAR of 38.1m – in November).
