This midsize compact was a strong seller for Chevrolet between its introduction in 1982 and the end of the line in 2005. The Chevrolet Cavalier was a popular car for first-time buyers, thanks to its low sticker price and interior comforts.

Competing with cars like the Toyota Camry, the Ford Focus, and the Honda Accord, the Chevy Cavalier was designed to be economical without being too spare for pampered American drivers. The Cavalier was economical with fuel, as well; during its lifetime, the importance of fuel efficiency may have waxed and waned with the buying public at large, but Chevrolet kept the faith with successive generations of the Cavalier.

Bodystyles offered for the Cavalier included a sedan and a coupe; a convertible was available in some model years (at times, the Cavalier convertible was the only American-made convertible on the market).

Although the Cavalier was popular with drivers, it was not always a favorite of safety testers. Some years' models had less than stellar outcomes on independent crash tests.

In 2005, Chevrolet discontinued the Cavalier after its 23-year run. Its successors in the Chevrolet family are the Cobalt and the Aveo, neither of which seems to have captured drivers' attention the way the Cavalier did in its day.