Edmunds.com expects sales of new cars and trucks to continue dropping next year, with a decline of nearly 5 percent to fewer than 12.5 million vehicles.

Automakers sold an estimated 13.1 million vehicles in 2008, down more than 16 percent from the previous year, when they delivered close to 16.2 million vehicles.

Edmunds.com, the premier resource for automotive information, also forecast that automakers will be more selective in their use of incentives in the coming year and will reduce the supply of some vehicles, causing transaction prices to climb on certain models.

Truck sales also are expected to remain flat in 2009, despite the introduction of the redesigned Ford F-series and Dodge Ram.