Buick Somerset

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Buick Somerset
Manufacturer	Buick
Parent company	General Motors
Production	1985–1987
Assembly	Lansing, Michigan
Successor	Buick Skylark
Class	Compact
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 4-door sedan (1985 only)
Layout	FF layout
Platform	N-body
Engine(s)	2.5 L Tech IV I4 3.0 L V6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 125 automatic
Wheelbase	103.4 in (2626 mm)
Related	Buick Skylark Oldsmobile Calais Pontiac Grand Am

The Buick Somerset was a compact car produced by the Buick division of American automaker General Motors between 1985 and 1987. Buick had previously used the "Somerset" name as a trim-level package on the Buick Regal in the early 1980s.

The Somerset was one of a number of down-sized cars built on GM's N-body. Destined to replace the Buick Skylark, the Somerset name badge failed to resonate with the buying public. Initially launched as the Somerset Regal in 1985, the name was shortened to Somerset in 1986, when a sedan version of the car was added under the Skylark name (Buick's strategy of using the Skylark badge is not new — this trend occurred in 1975 when the 2-door coupe based on the Chevrolet Nova was badged the Skylark while the 4-door sedans were known as the Apollo).

Starting in 1988, the Somerset name was discontinued, and all models were called Skylark.

The Somerset did not do as well in the marketplace as the Pontiac Grand Am which was based on the same platform. The Somerset did have some interesting features such as an all-digital instrument cluster and a surprisingly luxurious interior despite its small size.

[edit] Problems

A common complaint among consumers was its audio system, mounted on a pod above the vehicle's center console between the driver's and passenger seat. Because the system was not a typical "in-dash" type, there was no space to mount an aftermarket sound system, forcing audiophiles to make do with the existing system or make an expensive modification to the dashboard in order to get an aftermarket unit to fit.

The all-digital instrument panel also caused electrical system problems. The stock alternator provided with the optional digital instrumentation lived a much shorter life than vehicles equipped with an analog counterpart. The life of the stock alternator was about three years for the digital-equipped Somerset.

The vehicle's front grille was also subject to breakage in cases of engine vibration or even a rough road, where the plastic grille would break on either side (where the mounting screws were) because of the rigidity of the mounts that did not flex to compensate for the vibrations.

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Subcompact	Skyhawk
Compact			Skyhawk
						Somerset
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Mid-size	Century		Century															Century
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Full-size	Riviera						Riviera									Riviera
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	Electra					Electra						Park Avenue						Park Avenue
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SUV																									Rainier
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