DETROIT (AP) — The holiday weekend was good to U.S. automakers, as sales reports indicate the auto industry is on track to beat strong numbers from a year ago.

Chrysler’s U.S. sales rose a surprising 16 percent in November, while General Motors posted a 14 percent gain. Toyota sales rose 10 percent, Nissan was up 11 percent and Ford notched a 7 percent increase. Of major automakers, only Volkswagen and Honda reported sales drops. VW was off 16 percent, while Honda sales were down less than 1 percent.

“Industry sales in November picked up after Thanksgiving, contributing to the best sales pace of the year,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager.

Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. sales chief, said November U.S. sales are likely to run at an annual rate higher than 16 million, a strong pace he attributed to better conditions for consumers.

“The economy is creating jobs and household wealth,” he said. “Energy costs are dropping and credit is available and affordable. All of this bodes well for future growth.”

Small crossover SUVs like the new Jeep Cherokee were once again the stars for the month. The crossovers continued to gobble up market share during November, gaining two full percentage points over a year ago to 15.5 percent of U.S. sales, said Erich Merkle, Ford’s top sales analyst.

The gains came at the expense of small and midsize cars.