TrueCar.com, the authority on new car pricing, forecasted today that May 2010 light vehicle sales (including fleet) in the U.S. is expected to be 1,050,290 units, an increase of 7.0% from April 2010 and a leap of 13.6% from this time last year (on an unadjusted basis). May’s forecast translates into a SAAR level of 11.0 million new car sales.

According to the experts at TrueCar.com, industry average incentive spending per unit will be approximately $2,915 in May, which represents 8.3% increase from April 2010 and a 1.7% increase from this time last year.

TrueCar.com is reporting the following about sales and incentive spending in May:

- Of all individual brands, Cadillac, Subaru, Buick, and Hyundai are expected to post the largest increase in sales over last year.

- Honda incentives reach their highest levels ever at $2,345 per unit resulting in the biggest year-over-year increase amongst all automakers at 26.2%.

- Automobile manufacturers spent more than $3 billion in various incentive programs in May, which is the highest since August, 2008.

“Despite the recent volatility in the stock market, consumer demand for vehicles was steady in May, and we forecast selling rates to be higher through the remainder of 2010,” said Jesse Toprak, VP of Industry Trends and Insight for TrueCar.com. “Clearly, the high level of incentives is playing a large role in consumers’ return to showrooms. As we go into the heart of the summer sales season, manufacturers will have to strike a balance between selling a great deal and selling a great car. A well optimized incentive strategy can easily determine whether a manufacturer is profitable in these volatile times.”