First off, it's good to hear that you are OK after the accident!

Now to turn to selecting a replacement vehicle. An XJ Cherokee would be my first choices. Those have fewer electrical gizmos than the Grand Cherokee and better transmissions. The XJ's were also more likely to have a manual transmission. The XJ's have some issues, but most of those can be fixed cheaply. For the most part, there is adequate room to access stuff under the hood. There are many aftermarket parts available for the XJ's. There also also a number of parts that can be swapped from other vehicles to upgrade the XJ. The brake system would be the first upgrade to make! Look for an XJ with the Chrysler 8 1/4 rear axle. I like the transfer case that had option of 2 wheel drive along with part time and full time 4 wheel drive. (The hard core off road guys would disagree with that choice.)

I had an XJ years ago. It had the handling package with front and rear sway bars. It was a nice driving vehicle! The XJ's without the handling package did not drive nearly as well on the road. My XJ was the "country edition", which was the top of the line model. It was comparable to a base model Grand Cherokee. I was very happy with that XJ!

I've never had a Durango or a Dakota, but have heard a LOT of good things about the 1990's Durangos. The biggest issue I've heard of with these is transmission problems. I can't recall exactly when the body was changed, but some of the later ones had rust issues along with the engine issues already mentioned. If you want to do any towing, a V8 Durango would probably be the best in it's class.

The Grand Cherokee is probably comparable to the Durango in many respects. I'd prefer the Durango because it has a frame. (That is better for towing.) On the other hand, the Grand Cherokee could be had with the 4.0 engine.

The S-10 Blazers with the 4.3 engines were reasonably good. The older, square body style did not seem to hold up very well in an accident though. The later ones were better....but that's not saying much. They were a bit cramped under the hood. So, working on them could be a hassle. Some people have had problems with the S-10's. The transmission and the axles were not real strong. If one can be found that has been well cared for rather than abused, it might be a decent vehicle.

Some people love the small imported SUV's. I don't have any experience with those and can't offer any thoughts on them.

Good luck with whatever choice you make. Around here, used vehicles have become EXPENSIVE!!! I've seen some absolutely crazy asking prices!!! You may find a better price if you can wait until spring to buy. This time of year, 4 wheel drives bring a premium price.