My old Nexus 5 was my first smartphone and probably still holds the top spot for price, performance and usability (at the time) of any phone I've owned. My current Pixel 6 is somewhat close- but there was just something SO solid and magical about the old Nexus 5.
Nexus 5 is my all time favorite hardware design. With the soft touch plastic back, and lip around the flat screen, I never bothered with a case. All I ever wanted from a new phone since is a version scaled up to a 6in screen.