2005 X3
The BMW X3 had a great first year and its second year was even better. For 2005 the X3 was given a few upgrades and a slight increase in the price, which was to be espected. The drivetrain on the X3 was given the xDrive all-wheel-drive-system and Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control, which is designed to give it a tenacious grip and secure control in less conditions that are not usually suitable for driving. BMW’s near-luxury sport-utility is available with two versions of the company’s proven six-cylinder engine.
BMW decided not to change too much of the exterior stylings of the X3. 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.
When you slip into the X3 you will automatically feel comfortable. All of the controls are where they should be and everything feels the way they should, with the proper directional movement, resistance and detents. Instruments are easy to read at a glance and communicate the proper and necessary information.
The display for the optional navigation system is one of the most thoughtfully positioned of the lot, rotating up out of the top center of the dash, gray instead of black on 2005 models, so it’s visible to driver and navigator but nestled unobtrusively halfway down in the recess where it stows when not in use.
Dimensionally, the X3’s interior compares favorably with its most likely direct competition, the Lexus RX 330 and Infiniti FX35, giving up an inch or so here and gaining the same there. In many measures it bests the more expensive X5. There’s almost an inch more legroom in front and about half an inch more in the rear, for instance. Front-seat headroom is about a half inch less than in the X5, but rear-seat headroom is nearly an inch greater.
On the downside, the X3’s rear seat is quite firm and virtually flat, like a church pew, where the X5 and the others offer more form fit and comfort. The X3’s rear center head restraint is fixed, offering no vertical adjustment. Driving the BMW X3 is a great experience, for the most part a quite pleasant one.
It’s not a BMW 3 Series by any stretch. But neither is it anything like a run-of-the-mill SUV, quite different even from either the Lexus RX 330 or the Infiniti FX35, both of which tend toward the luxury end of the scale, while the X3 leans more to turning two-lanes and the occasional twisty dirt track into a fun drive. As readily as the X3 swallows up mile after mile of high-speed highway, and as confident as it feels in the wet, it really shines on dusty, gravel-strewn back roads and slushy boulevards.