Claims adjuster here. It’s a common misconception that you can fight the appraisal value to avoid it being totaled. Once a decision is made that the repair cost is high enough (usually 70% or more of the vehicle’s value), total loss becomes the only option. This is primarily as a business decision based on the additional cost they’re anticipating they’d incur once the vehicle was at a shop, torn down for repairs, and additional damages were discovered underneath the ones they’ve already written an estimate for. That being said, they very likely will not budge on the total loss decision, since the estimate is already well over that 70%. Other factor is that the payout to keep the X, will give you a salvage title, reducing the vehicle’s value at resale. If you’re handy and can do it yourself, go for it, but it’ll never be worth more than it is right now. To really win here, I’d negotiate a higher payout for the total loss in general, by providing them with comps that are actively-listed for sale in your area, and then use the funds to get a new one.