November proved to be another strong month for automakers, with light vehicle sales pacing at a 13.63 million SAAR — the highest rate this year, according to Autodata Corp. Compared to a year ago, sales were up 13.9 percent, with Mercedes-Benz USA and Chrysler Group leading the way. And similar to October, double-digit increases in SUV and truck sales were the driving force behind gains for a number of other brands, including BMW and GM.

Audi: Audi of America recorded its best November ever, with sales totaling 9,700 vehicles for the month — a 3.6 percent increase vs. last year. Sales of the Audi A6 increased 69.8 percent year over year to 1,379 vehicles, while sales of the Audi A8 increased 38.4 percent from a year ago. The automaker’s TT sales also were up by 115.8 percent.

BMW: BMW Group posted total November sales of 26,271 vehicles, an increase of 14.8 percent vs. last year. BMW-brand vehicle sales increased 7.1 percent year over year for a total of 21,521 units, while MINI USA sales increased 70.5 percent for a total of 4,750 automobiles sold in November. The main driver of the BMW brand’s increases was the 90.5 percent increase in the company’s BMW Sport’s Activity Vehicles lineup (X3, X5 and X6).

Chrysler: Chrysler Group LLC’s total November sales reached 107,172 units, a 45 percent increase vs. last year and the best year-over-year sales gain this year. Attributing the increase to a 51 percent jump in retail sales, the company said it recorded its best November since 2007, with Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram Truck brands also posting year-over-year sales increases.

Ford: Ford Motor Company’s U.S. retail sales increased 20 percent in November, marking the largest year-over-year increase in nine months. Total sales, including fleet deliveries, came in at 166,865 units, a 13 percent increase. Ford brand retail sales were up for cars, utilities and trucks, with double-digit gains posted by Fiesta, Fusion, Escape, Explorer, F-Series, Econoline and Ranger.

GM: General Motors Co. reported total sales of 180,402 units in November, a 7 percent increase vs. the year-ago period. Retail deliveries were up 15 percent compared to a year ago and accounted for 77 percent of GM sales. GM's total passenger car sales increased 1 percent, while crossover sales decreased 9 percent. Trucks sales, including full-size pickups, vans and SUVs, increased 25 percent.

Honda: American Honda Motor Co. posted November sales of 83,925 units, a 10.1 percent decrease from a year ago. The company’s Honda Division recorded November sales of 74,016 units, a decrease of 9.9 percent year over year. The Acura Division recorded November sales of 9,909 units, a year-over-year decrease of 11.2 percent. The company attributed the decreases to the recent flooding in Thailand, which effected production for the North American market.

Hyundai: Hyundai Motor America posted total sales of 49,610 vehicles in November, a 22 percent increase from a year ago. The company also reported a 24 percent increase in retail sales. The Hyundai Accent and Elantra experienced year-over-year sales increases of 16 percent and 44 percent, respectively, while the Tucson and Veracruz registered year-over-year sales increases of 35 and 36 percent, respectively.

Mazda: Mazda North American Operations (MNAO)’s total November sales reached 18,432 vehicles, representing an increase of 20.4 percent vs. last year. The Mazda6 celebrated its best month since March 2009, with sales increasing 53.9 percent from a year ago to 4,292 vehicles sold. Additionally, the automaker’s CX-7 and CX-9 crossover SUVs recorded their best November since 2007, recording sales increases of 7 percent and 39.2 percent, respectively.

Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz USA reported November sales of 28,255 vehicles, a 55.2 percent improvement over November 2010. This also was the best November on record in terms of volume. The 2012 C-Class led the pack, with sales increasing 112.7 percent year over year to 8,358 units. It was followed by the by the E-Class, which recorded sales of 5,095 units, and the M-Class, which realized month sales of 4,796 units.

Nissan: Nissan North America Inc. recorded November sales of 85,182 units, an increase of 19.4 percent year over year. Nissan Division sales set a new November record, increasing 21.5 percent to 76,754 units. Sales of Infiniti vehicles increased 3 percent from a year ago to 8,428 units. Some of the top sellers for the month included the Nissan Versa, Rogue and Altima. As for Infiniti, the QX and G Sedan were the best sellers in November.

Toyota: Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. reported November sales of 137,960 units, an increase of 2.4 percent vs. last year on a daily-selling-rate basis. The Toyota Division posted November total sales of 118,502 units, an increase of 2.4 percent on a DSR basis year over year, while Lexus Division reported total sales of 19,458 units, up 2.4 percent over November 2010 on a DSR basis.

Volkswagen: Volkswagen of America Inc. reported 28,412 units sold in November 2011, a 40.7 percent increase from a year ago. The company’s year-to-date sales are up 25.3 percent. Some of the top sellers for the month included the Passat with 6,018 units sold, the 2012 Beetle with 1,656 units sold and the Jetta Sedan with 11,131 units sold. Other notable monthly increases include the GTI (up 33.3 percent), the Golf (up 37.7 percent) and the Eos (up 53 percent).