U.S. Car Sales Growth Expected to Slow in 2016

Demand for cars and light trucks in the U.S. appears likely to set another record this year, but not by much, analysts say.

Sales climbed 6% to a record 17.47 million units in 2015, according to Autodata Corp. But many analysts say growth this year will be closer to 2% and could be less.

Most analysts agree that volumes are likely to shrink slowly beginning in 2017, largely because the new-car market will be satiated. At the same time, the size of the used-car pool continues to grow, creating a more attractive option for would-be new-car buyers.