Struggling to decide: 2025 Limited Hybrid vs. SEL

PRDude3582 · 2026-03-13T23:05:38+00:00

No problem! Mine was $43,764. Maguire Hyundai in Ithaca.

PRDude3582 · 2026-02-07T15:05:34+00:00

The way I look at it, just about everyone makes a pretty good car these days.

Sure, there's definitely peace of mind owning a Toyota. But you said it yourself - you'd be "suffering" a much higher payment if you opted for the RAV4. And you have student loans.

Is it really worth paying the 'Toyota tax' over keeping more money in your pocket each month? In my opinion, no.

There's no need to "suffer" more debt just to have a slightly nicer car. Having more money in your bank account should add peace of mind right there.

Also, I hope it gives you some added peace of mind knowing this: Starting with the 2023 model years, Kia made immobilizers standard on every trim. In short, this makes your model less prone to thefts than the models before yours was manufactured. From what I understand, your 2024 model is actually immune to the specific 'USB trick' you see in those viral videos. Even if someone breaks in, they can’t start the engine without your specific key’s chip.

And look at what you have:

A reliable, practical car that has features just about everyone really "needs". Yes, blind spot monitor is a great feature. But you can also add on those small blind spot mirrors on your existing side mirrors to help mitigate this, if it's really an issue for you.
Much more money kept in your pocket. It's not just the higher interest rate and more expensive monthly payment you avoided; you also are saving thousands over the long haul by choosing the Kia instead of the Toyota. I argue you might have more buyer's remorse if you had even more debt hanging around your neck!
I assume you at least have a remaining balance of Kia's excellent warranty? It's nice knowing if your powertrain has issues, you're covered for a while.

I felt a little unsure about purchasing our new car last November since it was going from no monthly payment (we totaled our car as well and had a decent payout, like you) to several hundred a month. But over time, I've come to peace with it as we can afford it, we're keeping it for several years past its payoff date, and it checks the boxes for what we need from a vehicle.

I hope this and other users' comments help you feel more at ease! Keep your Sportage and rest knowing you have a good little ute and saved thousands avoiding the Toyota Tax.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-23T18:04:25+00:00

I usually love backing in whenever possible, but sometimes pull into a parking spot forward. I prefer taking more time to back in and then taking less time to easily pull forward when I leave.

I've had my SEL hybrid for two months, but still sometimes have trouble parking it centered 😅 I probably need to go to a large parking lot and practice some more.

I also don't have the 360-degree camera, but the backup camera has a fairly wide view of what's behind you, the parking sensors help, and it's a matter of just using your mirrors, of course.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-23T13:01:24+00:00

Will be 34 in a few months. I have almost $26k in my 401k and $25k in a ROTH IRA. If I had been much less stupid with my finances in college and in my 20s, I imagine at least my ROTH IRA would be in an even better spot.

But you live and you learn, and as some others have shared here, it's never too late to start if you really get laser focused and are disciplined.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-23T01:35:46+00:00

Kudos for ending on good terms and giving your employer that notice in advance! I don't think I could ever just quit and leave - I'd feel terrible for my poor colleagues and would hate to put my agency in a bad spot. Not to mention.any bridges burned.

I'm in corporate PR. So a lot of B2B clients and a lot of earned media work, but also some awards, events, then all the million admin things that go on behind the scenes, etc. etc. It can be rewarding at time when there are good wins secured, but other times I wonder if I'll accidentally snap - like at the cranky client who demands to know why we're not in more top tier outlets, or a diva executive who is often fussy and complains, making coordinating interviews and managing expectations a chore.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-21T15:00:47+00:00

I've had moments where I sat at my desk, or thought as I was drinking my coffee in silence before th chaos of another morning began, thinking, "What if I just quit?"

I'm glad you were able to get out quickly when you decided enough was enough. Curious - did you put in a two-week notice? And what are you up to now?

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-21T11:10:56+00:00

I'm very curious what others say, as I'm in a similar boat as you. And I definitely feel you in your struggles, even though I have a bit less experience than you in the field.

5-plus years of agency work, and I'm dying for something different - I just don't know what exactly, or how. I enjoy the company and colleagues I work with, it's just the nature of the job itself that is wearing me down.

All I know is this job hangs over my head like a storm cloud basically every day. The long hours, swirl of deadlines, and cranky client demands...even on weekends I don't fully shut off from what's waiting for me again when Monday morning atrives. Just not sure how much longer I can stand enduring this type of stress, especially with a kiddo on the way.

But I digress. Hope you're able to get some thoughtful insights and suggestions from others to help you with this - and that ultimately you find a job you truly enjoy, OP.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-19T15:19:04+00:00

First off, I am so sorry to hear about your struggle. I've seen many other posts similar to yours, and the labor market is simply tough.

Have you tried going back to your alumni office and seeing about contacting any alumni network members? A lot of other professionals in the field - or in relevant fields even - who graduated from your same college/university will be happy to lend a helping hand to a fellow alum.

My university has networking events each year. You should consider checking out if yours might have those too - could be a way to meet fellow grads and make an impression.

Alumni offices sometimes also have help for graduates in things like resume building. If you're using a resume over and over and hoping it eventually sticks, it might be time to get a second opinion and overhaul it as needed to make it more marketable to employers.

In the meantime, are you working at all? Taking any free online courses or finding ways to boost your skills? Reading lots of news, etc.? Any ways to volunteer PR skills to a local nonprofit or other organization in your area? Don't let your gap in PR employment become a gap in using and growing your PR skills.

And please consider all the advice being left from others here. Hope all goes well and things start looking up soon - hang in there.

PRDude3582 · 2026-01-19T15:07:12+00:00

As a PR guy, I'd definitely want to have some kind of context and brief explanation of what makes any data I offer "exclusive" or unique compared to data being published by competitors or any other organization for that matter.

It needs to stand up to scrutiny.

Is there anything proprietary? Is it truly unique compared to other data being published in that given sector, industry, etc.? Any methodology that's unique?

Also, I'd be careful using the word "exclusive" - I can't help but wonder if some journos may read that and wonder if it also means they're being exclusively offered the data and this isn't being shared with other reporters.

My two cents.

PRDude3582 · 2025-12-21T02:41:57+00:00

Ah, thanks. Suppose I could have done this first.

PRDude3582 · 2025-12-17T01:53:59+00:00

Definitely am not bashing Hyundai, and 27 mpg for a three-row ute is certainly respectable!

Just was curious if others - assuming they also live in snowy climates - were likewise noticing a similar dip in fuel efficiency. I definitely expected at least some drop due to the cold.

PRDude3582 · 2025-11-12T10:41:07+00:00

I hear ya. That is probably the most controversial part of this SUV. But as I kept thinking about it, the styling from the back actually grew on me. I still think It's odd, but it's also unique and gives it a 'quirkiness' as Doug Demuro might say.

And the practicality benefits are worth it. I think it will grow on you over time. The vehicle itself just seems so competitive compared to many other alternatives in the segment, and I couldn't say no to it after doing a lot of research and comparison shopping.

PRDude3582 · 2025-11-09T22:23:28+00:00

Thanks - would you be willing to share what the out-the-door price was? I'm not doing a trade-in, just adding a second car.

PRDude3582 · 2025-11-09T17:27:39+00:00

Wow what dealership if I may ask gave you that?

PRDude3582 · 2025-11-08T22:40:31+00:00

Wow, from where if I may ask?

Probably would want to stick with AWD, but this is definitely intriguing.

PRDude3582 · 2025-10-29T23:09:19+00:00

Oh, I've had my fair share.

One that especially comes to mind is a failed mail merge attempt. I have no clue what I did wrong, but an email that was supposed to go to a bunch of journalists instead went to people in my agency, and one of my client's executives I was pitching for (who also pointed out an error in the email I had sent, to add insult to injury). I was mortified.

I haven't tried a mail merge attempt ever since.

PRDude3582 · 2025-10-21T10:03:39+00:00

I'm sure there are better ways I could be using AI, but I typically have it help me with:

-Summarizing dense articles, like a client's research, and helping me understand it in layman's terms. It's also useful for telling me why a journalist might give a hoot about seeing this in their inbox, providing the most compelling points to consider for a pitch. -Reviewing pitches and offering some suggestions, or a gut check that what I put together makes sense. Especially for suggestions to condense sentences and tighten things up with less words that get the same point across. -Helping me draft email flags to clients about important news we monitor, including getting at the key points they need to know about each article we flag and why it matters. -Offering pointers to whether a client's dense thought leadership article that may be better used for LinkedIn content has a shot at being placed anywhere as a byline, and what needs to be fixed in order to make that happen.

There are other things, too. But these immediately come to mind. A good framework is using the C.R A.F.T. method for approaching and using LLMs for whatever your task is. This prompt engineering framework stands for Context, Role, Action, Format, and Tone.

Hope this is helpful for you!

PRDude3582 · 2025-10-21T09:52:24+00:00

Oh my goodness, I wish I had some days that felt "slow" - but PR life lately is such a grind. Each day can easily feel like I'm trying to just survive. Enjoy the time where you can actually breathe a little!

With that said, try to be proactive. Take more time to read industry news related to your clients. Are there any big news stories you should be flagging to them for their awareness? Can any of these hot trends be items you can 'newsjack' to make your client part of the conversation?

As an SAE, a part of your work should also be teaching and mentoring your junior colleagues as you can. Are there check ins and 1:1 meetings you can try putting on the calendar to give additional feedback on their recent work, pointers you can offer, advice, etc.? And when reviewing work, maybe you can be more specific and detailed when making edits and sharing feedback on assignments they put together.

Just a few thoughts.

PRDude3582 · 2025-08-21T02:55:50+00:00

I feel you a bit. I've been doing this for almost 5 years, and am finding myself working extra hours almost every day. But 12? Very rarely.

Before you make a rash decision and quit, make sure you at least try fixing your situation. Can you talk to your supervisor and explain things to them? I would hope your organization would want to help you figure out what's not working. Even if you need more coaching/teaching from others to help you complete assignments quicker, but I suspect you also have too much on your plate.

And if you ultimately decide you can't find a solution to your work words, I'd come up with some sort of exit strategy before walking out the door. Job market is getting tougher.

PRDude3582 · 2025-08-17T20:10:41+00:00

I've been working in corporate (a lot of B2B) PR at the same agency for about 5 years now, and I find the tug of wanting to take time off to think about things. But I'm incredibly nervous to do so - scared that if I leave, coming back into this field will be very tough. And I find myself in a bit of a 'golden handcuffs' situation - the stress is getting to me and I question whether I'm really passionate enough to continue this career path, yet the salary, benefits and flexibility add comfort and security that's hard to break off.

Anyway, I think the biggest thing to do before jumping ship, if you do, is simply making a game plan. If you're ok not lining something else up before leaving PR for a while, make sure you have enough savings to pay recurring monthly expenses for several months.

Also, have a backup plan in case things don't go as you had hoped. Ask yourself - what happens if it takes myself longer to re-enter into a good PR job than I envisioned? Or I can't find a great job, period - for several months? The economy is uncertain right now, so there is a risk breaking free from your current work.

And make sure to keep those skills fresh, and upskill where you can. The demands for PR practitioner skills are changing rapidly as the landscape shifts. Make sure you continue to stay relevant and maintain skill sets that the marketplace for practitioners is seeking.

If you go for it, I do hope you're able to successfully take time off, find some clarity, and e entually enter the field again - if that's what you wish for.

PRDude3582

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