I've been happy with my pixel. As much as it might be not ideal if you don't want to support Google, ironically it's like the only phone you can de-google and still have a locked bootloader and full features

Have a look at Gigaset aka the Siemens branch that built all those DECT phones aka not Siemens mobile (which was a complete joke and failure). Not part of Siemens any more, anyway. Never really top of the line but also comparatively inexpensive (not as much as China phones but still), and most importantly: Replaceable battery. Always had them, even before the new EU regulation (which isn't even in force yet). Not really that popular in the mainstream market but definitely among builders etc. who want a rugged phone, they're quite successful in that niche.

Oneplus has gone to shit as far as software is concerned, but the hardware is still good, so if you're OK running a custom ROM, they're good.

I last used the Xperia lineup ages ago, but it was a pretty decent experience, close enough to stock Android and the additions they did add were actually improvements. No idea if that's still the case, but you could look up some reviews.

Ditto for Motorola, which was nearly stock Android back in 2014.

Murena sells refurb and new phones with /e/os preinstalled if you want to go google-free.

I do miss the early days of Android, when you had players like HTC creating completely unique Android experiences (I mean so did Samsung, but their uniqueness was how slow Touchwiz was).

Edit: Also completely forgot the fact that Nokia makes some good phones, including pretty affordable ones and some higher end ones. But personally the one person I knew with one had issues with the USB-C port and had to have theirs repaired by the warranty and then refunded on the second or third round. But that was a much older model, maybe 5 years now, they likely have fixed the issues on their newer ones.

Not the OP, but I went with Moto instead. They're slim, with minimal junk (2-3 Moto utility apps that aren't terrible, no Facebook or similar), they work as well as my Samsung phones (if not better), and my first one outlasted the network it was running on (AT&T older G-series network).

Sony Xperia

I installed e/OS/ on my Samsung s8+, best decision of my smartphone user life. Fast os, no ads, no crapware, no tracking, no preinstalled bullshit

Whatever is most popular under $200. Unless you game or use your phone to take photos a lot, it will do just fine, there's not much to be added to justify any additional costs. Ironically, most phones in that category would be Samsungs.

You shouldn't have to do this if course, but if you want to remove all the shit they put on phones it's very easy and safe to use ADB. XDA usually has a list of the things that are safe to remove and there are tutorials online.