Last month a detective from the Capitola Police Department in California told The Autopian that any help identifying a car from a few grainy screenshots would be “huge” in helping find the culprit. Fast forward just a few weeks later, and the police made an arrest, with the detective telling The Autopian, “thank you and your community for all the input and dedication.” This story made some waves, and now the Lexington Police Department needs our help.
“I’m an officer with the Lexington Police Department assisting with the investigation of a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian hit-and-run,” begins the email from officer Daniel Boyko. “We are having trouble identifying the run vehicle from the two photos we have of it. I was encouraged by the success from the last such photos that your readers chimed in on.”
Boyko goes on to ask for our help, writing: “If you wouldn’t mind asking your readers to help out, I’ve attached the two photos we have.”
Boyko describes what he sees in the screengrabs, writing: “Appears to be a newer white crossover/SUV with the following distinguishing features: upswept rear window line, full length roof rails (no crossbars), two-panel or single large panel sun/moonroof, black rockers.”
To me, this looks BMW X-ish. What do you think? Any thoughts on model year and trim level?
Images: Lexington Police Department
It’s gotta be a 1st gen X3.
Thinking BMW X3. I also first thought Forester, maybe 3rd gen – but the moonroof here looks larger than the Subaru. This one looks like it takes up over half the roof, extending more over the rear seats. A Forester’s is large but doesn’t seem to go as far past the front seatbacks from what I can see.
As mentioned the roof antenna – seems like a sharkfin antenna, which X3s have used, Foresters were aerial mast until more recently and I don’t think that would show up as well.
First shot looks like black plastic cladding around the wheel well arch, older X3s had this, Foresters did not.
The foglights also seem closer to the headlight assemblies, like a BMW of the time.
Could be something else entirely but seems spot on for a BMW.
The pictures aren’t great, but I see some sort of badge on the hood just beyond the grill. With the other features noted about the shape and lighting on the front I agree that this is an X3.
This would be a fun game if it didn’t involve POS people mowing down pedestrians in non-descript bland crossovers. My condolences to the family of the victim. I hope we catch this guy.
It’s not quite fun for me, but it is rather satisfying. I’ve been through it myself, so I truly relish nailing these fuckers.
I’m with Jdesigner. The X3 seems to be a perfect match. Roof antenna, moonroof, the angle at the bottom of the rear window, roof rails, etc.
Plus, the front grille shot screams BMW.
Much easier than last time.
Duh. Miata is always the answer.
06-07 Subaru Tribeca https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Tribeca#/media/File:2006-2007_Subaru_Tribeca_(B9_MY07)_R_Premium_Pack_wagon_(2011-11-17).jpg
Front grill is not a match. It’s an X3.
nope, the sunroof is too short on the Subaru.
I thought Forester at first too but the BMW circular logo on the hood is fairly clear
I for one am declaring Jdesigner the winner of this one. Face Lifted 2007 to 2010 E83 X3 2.5 is it. It is a perfect match and nothing else fits.
yup
mid-2000s BMW X3.
Wow, this is local to me.
I’m far from an expert on Subarus but my guess is 3rd gen Forrester. Windows look right, without crossbars the moonroof seems right, and it really seems like you can see the Subaru emblem in the one picture of the front. I thought maybe 4th gen but the 5 spoke wheels were on the 3rd.
With the upswept windows it could be a 2020 or thereabouts Rogue, but the windows look too long unless the scaling is off. Also doubt they had a panoramic roof.
I’m leaning toward 2019ish Forester, most likely Touring trim level https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/cars-trucks/subaru-forester-touring-review/
Ohh! That’s a close match top down, but the rockers don’t have the kink that the Subaru does. I still think its an E83 X3.
I was also thinking a fifth generation Forester. Features that stick out to me are the relatively large separation between the grill and the headlights. The location of the orange lights within the headlight also fit (I can’t remember what those lights are called at the moment for some reason). The roof rack also fits. My only concern is that the antenna seems further forward on the car in the picture than it should be on a Forester, but that might just be the angle the photographs were taken.
Also, I think the Subaru’s grille and headlights are too big and the fog lights are too low. In that ‘best’ top-down image of the vehicle in question the lights and grille appear to be fairly narrow and of a similar height and the fogs look as if they’re just below the headlights.
I saw this and immediately thought, “well this is easier than last time. That’s a BMW front.”
It does look like a 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, except for how the front is obviously not a Pilot, and obviously has BMW grilles.
That is, as others have said, definitely a 2004-2010 first generation BMW X3. The roof rack, black rockers and flares, and kicked up beltline match at least as well as the Pilot does, and that’s totally the x3 front end.
It’s so settled we should switch to working on the vehicle behind it so they can get eyewitnesses as well.
That would be a 2007-2014 GMC Yukon.
These photos are bad quality, but they’re really not that bad. This is a walk in the park compared to the last one.
Agreed, the SUV notch on the X3 and Pilot are very similar, but it was the front that swayed me to thinking X3.
I would toss in a Subaru Forester as well. That upsweep matches really well and you can get the big moonroof. The front doesn’t really match u less they color matched.
My immediate thought was Forester but the roof rails are missing the middle support when you look at the shadows…..very close.
I’m definitely on Team Forrester this time. The side window outline looks to be a near perfect match, including the A-pillar triangle that appears darker that the rest of the glass. Some of these have chrome “wings” on either side of the grille badge that I could see appearing as white in these low-res pics. Plus there is body-colored separation between the headlight pods and the grille.
But what about the rocker panels? They look straight in the first image and the forester has a kink in them. Its hard to say with the picture’s such a low res.
There are more than a few press photos of the Forrester where that kink isn’t obvious, so I wouldn’t rule it out based on that.
However, the BMX X3 is also a pretty good match.
Initial impression is post-facelift third generation Subaru Forester (2011-2013 model years.) Probably higher trim level due to pano roof.
I’m with everyone else that thinks it looks like an E83 X3 but honestly even the new ones look basically the same when they are this blurry.
E83 X3 top down for reference https://www.mosselmanturbo.com/uploads/cars/detail_default/1200×675/bmw-x3-30sd-e83-286hp.jpeg
I think you nailed it.
The roof rails don’t appear to be casting a shadow for that middle support. Who has raised rails without a middle support?
I suspect that back right (from the top) corner of the sunroof is hiding the support shadow. Everything else lines up too perfectly.
This totally confirms the resemblance of the sunroof, roof rails, antenna, and the front end from this angle.
I would like to add that it also appears to be an LCI front bumper and not the earlier plastic one due to the light around the front fog lights. https://marsperformance.com.au/attachments/images/GRILLE/BMW/E83-X3/E83-S1-FG-COMPARE.jpg
So 2007 to 2010?
I think the LCI happened in between 2006-2007 so I would assume 2006-2010.
The facelift was in late 2006 for the 2007 model year, so yeah, 2007 to 2010.
You absolutely nailed it for sure. Now can we narrow it down to a specific model year?
Its an LCI for sure, see my comment below. 2006-2010 is the facelift (LCI)
You nailed it. I just went through each iteration of the X3 and this is definitely an E83.
https://www.autoevolution.com/bmw/x3/
This ^
Yeah, good call. With the right headlight burned out, you can clearly see the unique fog light shape.
And the really weirdly shaper corner light that goes above the headlight.
I mean corner light not fog light.
I’ll throw in Volvo XC60
I thought this initially but the headlights don’t match.
The hood silhouette has similarities but the grill and headlights don’t look right.
I think this is a last gen Honda Pilot. It has an upswept rear window line and is essentially the same size and overall shape as this. The upper trims also have an available pano sunroof. The front end/headlights/what we can see of the grille look similar too and the wheels/tires are on the smaller side, which screams family hauler rather than luxury SUV to me.
I was thinking the same thing. I WAS thinking the Toyota Highlander, but the upsweep of the rear window is much more in line with 2021/22-ish Pilots. Probably EX level trim? The only thing holding me back is the moon roof seems a bit bigger than the Pilot.
I got hung up on that too but found several local Pilots of this generation for sale that have second row sunroofs. I assume it’s one big panel on top that’s separated on the inside by the roll bar, and would look like this from up top.
I’m convinced by the BMW X3 photo. It has the right sunroof and rails. The Pilot rails are much lower, so wouldn’t cast that shadow.
Rear windows are not the same. There is separation on the new Pilot. The previous generation is connected, but then the sun roof is not the same at all.
Im not a professional, but I would bet my money that its a first gen 2003-2010 BMW E83 X3. Grills, fog light placement, roof rails, rocker panels with the up swoop in the rear, the roundel shape on the hood. There are a lot of indications that this is the answer.
Yeah, I’d say it’s likely a first-gen X3 (E83, 2003 – 2010) given the small-ish grille openings, fog lights centered immediately below the headlights, sharp kink at the rear beltline and placement of the sunrrof and antenna on the roof.
Note the offset of the roof antenna.
I think the apparent offset may be a shadow as there appears to be a pretty bright light source to the vehicle’s left in that image of the roof.
I 100% agree upon second look.
Thats likely a shadow cast from a centered antenna thats paint matched
Right you are.
I was gonna say first-gen BMW X3 (because of the railings), but these are some wildly blurry pictures and with a lot of random artifacts.
Yeah, my immediate impression is BMW or Blazer. Looks like I’ll be spending some time on Cars.Com again.
Too long and skinny to be a blazer imo.
Yeah, it was just something about the shapes that made me see Blazer, but it’s not.
Somewhere, a Blazer owner will read this comment and smile while a BMW owner will throw up. “Does my BMW really look like a Blazer!???”
The focus group in one of the Real People ads mistook a Malibu for an Audi, so why can’t someone confuse a Blazer for a BMW
And if you believe those are real opinions from real people I’ve got an “Audi” to sell you.
Wait, you’re telling me Urban Sombrero Guy is an actor?
Depends on your offer on my “Audi”.