(October 31, 2014) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds.com forecasts that 1,281,548 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in October for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 16.3 million. The projected sales will be a 3.1 percent increase from September 2014, and a 6.4 percent increase from October 2013.

"Car and truck sales have settled into a groove," says Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "Dealers are welcoming a consistent flow of shoppers into their showrooms, and the pace will likely remain steady through the end of the year. With declining gas prices and strong truck and SUV sales, the industry is poised for a very busy holiday season."

Edmunds.com estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 13.6 million vehicles in October, with fleet transactions accounting for 16.5 percent of total sales. An estimated 2.96 million used cars will be sold in October, for a SAAR of 35.6 million (compared to 2.95 million — or a SAAR of 36.3 million — used car sales in September).