Owners of the X5 may be forgiven for doing a double take when they see the BMW X3, as the two are nearly perfect images of each other. Only when parked side by side are the differences noticeable, and then only to the extent of inches or less.There are a few new exterior touches on the 2005 models, but none alter the looks much. There's the traditional twin-kidney grille, of course. For 2005, the grille's vertical slats are chrome on the 3.0i, and there's a new chrome strip along the base of the side windows. From the front, the stance looks much the same as the X5, with fenders tautly blistered over wide and widely spaced tires, giving the X3 a BMW-like, road-grabbing face. This is no real surprise, as the X3 is but 0.7 inches narrower than the X5; its track, too, is within an inch and a half of the X5's.
Much the same goes for the side view, though the cut line from the front wheel wells to the front doors has been eliminated for a cleaner look. A mild character crease bridges the space between the fender blisters and a relatively low beltline adds openness to the side windows. The trademark dogleg in the rear quarter window has been stretched a bit, however. Physical measurements support the visual similarities. The X3's 110-inch wheelbase is less than 1 inch shy of the X5's, and its overall length comes up short of the X5's 183.7 inches by only 4 inches. The X5 is also but 1.5 inches taller.