The forecasters expect more moderate economic growth during 2005, with some reduction in activity in the housing sector and a slower pace of consumer spending growth than in the past several years.

The U.S. economy experienced solid growth in 2004, with light-vehicle sales rising to 16.8 million units. What can we expect in 2005 and 2006? At a recent Chicago Fed symposium, auto industry experts came together to analyze the sector’s performance and discuss the outlook for next year and...