Lastly, we come to the part of the car you'll see the most, the interior. Most '02 interiors are pretty simple, but a good cleaning really helps to make them look good again. The seats often become lumpy and uncomfortable because the padding (aka gummihaar) disintegrates and ends up on the floor as brown fibers. The vinyl seat covers often harden and crack with age.

The headliner, in addition to being white, collects dirt easily and can be very difficult to replace if it's torn. The door panels have cardboard backing, and if this gets wet, the panel becomes wavy and begins to separate. Good door panels are very hard to find, even at a high price. Doors that don't want to stay open indicate door brakes that need replacing.

A clean original interior, note the large "bus" steering wheel. Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

The dashboard is prone to developing cracks if the car sits in the sun for long periods of time. The odometers often work erratically or not at all, but can be repaired fairly reasonably. Sunroofs and door windows can become hard to open, but these are easily repairable. Carpeting usually is best replaced, since by now it will be worn out, dirty, or faded.

The sealing rubber trim around the doors is a good candidate for replacement by now, as it will have shrunk in areas and will cause a poor fit between the doors and/or windows. In general, the interior of an '02 usually needs a good cleaning, then some minor repairs, but nothing major.

That covers a fairly basic but detailed look at the major areas of concern on a 2002. Here is a check list of points to remember when looking at a 2002 for sale.