For a car to be pronounced as totaled by the insurance company, The cost of repair and the salvage value combined would have to exceed the current value of the car.
It's totally reasonable to pronounce his car to be totalled.
As for suggested cars,
I would strongly suggest to get a european or asian car.
Reason for this is that 86% of cars break down within 2 years of warranty expiry.
This study was done based on american cars therefore my recommendation.
Good luck in your car search. (: