If you’ve been tuning in to some holiday advertising, there’s a catchy jingle going around—“’tis the season to buy a new car.”

Indeed, the automotive industry is on a roll this year (pun intended). Many auto brands are already predicting sales of up to 17MM units. This is in stark contrast to just a few, short years ago when they plummeted to 11MM—it’s been an incredible recovery. And, appropriately, many car brands are singing loud and clear this holiday season.

As we all know, manufactures are in a hard sale race to the finish line on December 31^st.  This got me to thinking, “Whose holiday ads are resonating with prospective auto shoppers?” So I looked at the Ace Metrix LIVE database and did a quick review of the top Luxury and Non-Luxury Automotive ads. A few noteworthy data points jumped out:

Top 5 Holiday Luxury Auto Ads

From looking at the top five Luxury Auto ads this holiday season, it’s quite obvious that BMW and Lexus dominate the top spots. (You may have noticed that Mercedes-Benz has also been airing some festive ads recently. While those ads scored well, they were reused from last year and left out of this analysis of new holiday creative.)

While all of these top spots scored high in Attention, Likeability and Desire, BMW’s ad “Explore” takes home the highest overall Ace Score for the category. The ad, touting BMW’s Happier Holidays sales event, earned above-norm component scores across each of seven characteristics of the ad—an exceptional achievement with strong breakthrough potential.

Lexus’ two ads to make the top five list also excelled in terms of Attention and Likeability, with its top ad, “The Teleporter,” also succeeding for its ability to drive Desire.

Audi also played in the holiday ad game. The German luxury brand’s seasonal spot, “Best Time to Come,” had strong breakthrough potential, earning average scores in Attention and Likeability; however, the brand missed the mark in driving consumer Desire.

Top 5 Holiday Non-Luxury Auto Ads

As you can see from the top five Non-Luxury Auto holiday spots, the top competitors are much more varied. Subaru and Mazda roll in at number one and two for their ability to convey strong philanthropic messages that tug at consumers’ heartstrings. Subaru’s winner, “How It Feels,” especially drew strong Emotional Sentiment scores, 28% above the band’s average.

With so many different Luxury and Non-Luxury Auto brands competing for attention through the end of the year, many brands have noticed the importance of standing out from the fleet. It’s obvious that those ads that really brought their “A” game were more than just about the festive mood, they were about giving back and having fun.

Happy Holidays to All!