Should The 400h Have Its Own Subforum?

[SW03ES]

I've been thinking about this, and we've resisted doing model or generation specific subforums for a long time, and I believe rightfully so, but I think we may need an RX400h subforum.

The 400h is really an entirely different vehicle that attracts am entirely different buyer, and I know from experience on the Prius boards "hybrid people" talk about different things than normal car people. Things like gas mileage comparisons, in deopth discussions of the technology and algorythms and such. Kevin K was way off base with his attack and I've punished him for it but he may have had a point. They ARE very different.

So what do you guys think? Reply to the poll and use this thread to discuss it. It would be a subforum of this forum so people would click the "RX300/RX330/RX400h" forum tab then see "RX400h Discussion" as the first link at the top of the page.

[SKperformance]

agree on both points

The RX looks the same on the outside but the internals of its drivetrain is completly different.

The extrior and interior are the same and since when do they break.

Might just need a sub forum under the RX forum

[Matthew_McNally]

hmmmm.

I dont know enough about the vehicles.

If they are more different than alike - then we'll have a new forum.

However, if they are more alike than different - then we should keep everything in one place

[denslexusgx470]

i guess i'll agree on "yes" for this one, to help those first timers here on LOC easily find their info. sometimes people have a hard time trying to find the info they need about their car especially if the main forum has topics for all three cars (Rx300, RX330, RX400h). ;)

[ritchieg]

I think the 400h should not be included with the RX300 & RX330. There are too issues with the 400h that clutter the RX300/RX330 forum pages.

[RX400h]

Not only does the Corvette Forum have separate sections for the many generations of Corvettes, but there are also Z06 sub-forums. I bring this this up because it is not too uncommon. I vote for an RX400h section.

[bikeandsail]

I suggest a separate forum.

Ron

[motion]

I'm all for the new forum. It will also help others easily check out what hybrid users are saying. With the new GS Hybrid coming out, and talk that the whole Lexus line will have hybrid options in a few years, this could be a great reference for others.

Perhaps the forum should be called Hybrid Discussions, which would still allow discussion of other issues regarding the RX on the regular RX board, i.e. anything that still applies to all the cars. When the new lines come out with their hybrids they can have subforums withing the Hybrid forum also.

Just an idea.

[hillhaus]

A subforum for the 400h is a great idea.

[Booyah]

Yes it should! It runs off batteries:) But thats Ok with me!!

[scoobie]

I don't see anything wrong with the current combined format, brings a variety of topics for all to see and discuss; as long as the ensuing discussion is faithful to the title, then those not interested can tell right away and simply not look.

Subsections would make sense only if and when the number of daily new topics become unmanagably large (say into the hundreds). Right now I don't think we're there yet.

[RX in NC]

Give it a subforum - it's a different animal.

[OKEH1]

The 400 is more alike the 330 than the 300 was to the 330, I thought the 330 was a complete redesign differing from the 300. In my opinion the 400 event though hybrid is basically the same platform and probably has similar issues to the 330 such as component fit , rattles, materials, mileage etc

Keep it here so any future purchasers can easily compare the vehicles.

[scoobie]

My prediction of what's going to happen if a subforum is created. Interest and participation in the RX catagory as a whole will diminish, in other words, the parts will be less than the whole.

No question the 400h is a different animal from the 330 or 300, but the 400h buyers are a subset of potential 330 buyers (or in general luxury SUV shoppers), so wouldn't it make sense that current or prospective 330 owners would also be interested in 400h-related issues ?

Having a subforum will give the illusion of a neat and orderly segmentation of the RX communicty, and may even give the 400h owners a false sense of exclusivity, but will be counter productive in the long run.

[rocky2]

I believe that there should be a RX 330/400h forum.

Except for the newness of the battery /miledge/cost issues the 400h is the same as the 330. It's the RX 300 group that should have it's own forum.

[speedyg]

I like the combined 300/330/400 forum. The RX400h and RX330 have so much in common. If there was a special RX400 forum, there might only be 5 or 6 of us on it (at first anyway), and we wouldn't benefit from the experiences/knowledge/perspective of the people with the RX330/RX300's.

Maybe if there is a a 400h-specific topic, people can just include the word 400h in the title of the post. Then people who didn't care about the 400h could just ignore those messages.

[SW03ES]

At this point its a runaway majority voting for the subforum.

To those with issues about splitting it off, we agree with you thats why we've resisted doing this with other models. The fact of the matter is though, the RX400h is propelled by an ENTIRELY new drivetrain, not just a different engine but an entirely different way of powering a vehicle. The vehicle is just going to have totally different concerns and discussions than the RX330. The person who said the 400h is less different than the 330 and the 300 must not fully understand that the RX400h is basically an entirely different kind of vehicle that shares the same body peices.

The way it is right now, RX400h discussions are dominating the RX forum, RX330 and certainly 300 threads have been stifled. This is to be expected as the 400h is an exciting new model and has drawn a lot of attention. I think this risks driving 330 and 300 owners away, and when the fervor dies down around the 400h the RX forum will be left empty. I think in seperate forums the two groups can grow alongside each other.

Of course participation would be cultivated across the two forums, but the specific threads would be housed in their prospective forums.

I dont see any way around this.

[LexKid630]

personally i think EVERY car AND every generation change should have a different subforum. That way wou wont have to contunue directing your questions to specific people.

Just my opinion. so yeah the 400h should...

[SW03ES]

The problem with that is it destroys the cohesiveness of the community. As it is now people dont cross read the forums, imagine if there were suddenly 3 times as many forums...nobody would know each other.

[LexKid630]

The problem with that is it destroys the cohesiveness of the community. As it is now people dont cross read the forums, imagine if there were suddenly 3 times as many forums...nobody would know each other.

←

Very true; i cross read the forums :P I help anyone i can....

[scoobie]

The problem with that is it destroys the cohesiveness of the community. As it is now people dont cross read the forums, imagine if there were suddenly 3 times as many forums...nobody would know each other.

←

My point exactly, they way it is now, the combined forum gives 400h owners a chance to share their experiences with non-type owners, I don't own a 400h, but personally I've enjoyed and benefitted from reading posts from 'RX400h' in San Diego, patt from Sacramento, and numerous others about their experiences and views on the 400h thus far. With the creation of the subforum, I predict these folks will form a close knitted clique (of a handful of people) and would mainly correspond amongst themselves.

[waterrat]

I believe that the hybrid vehicles belong in a separate forum as they are of a different automotive "breed", with issues that are distinctly separate from the traditional gasoline automobiles.

For this reason I believe the 400h should have its own forum.

[sgriffith]

I personally would rather them stay as they are right now. Once more 400h's hit the road and we have more volume on that vehicle then I can see it....but I would think that it would take a little bit away from the community feeling we have right now. I understand that it has a lot of new parts, but it is still an RX. If I want to read about a GX, I go to the GX forum....if I want to read about an LX, I go to the LX forum....and if I want to read about an RX, I go to the RX forum......just makes sense to me.

[SKperformance]

I like motions idea.

It doesn't need to be an RX40h forum but a leading edge of a hybrid forum

[msrc2]

Just my .02 ... I came here looking for specific discussion on the 400h.

I could really care less about the 300/330. As more vehicles are delivered, the 400h community will grow. This is a brand new vehicle with new technology, and the potential for its own topics. Separate them......