I have been recommended a number of medium range zoom lenses to replace the standard dismal canon 28-90.
The ones that grabbed my eye in my price range are the Canon 28-135 and the Sigma 18-125. Outside the price range but highly recommended is the 24-105. For General grab and go is it worth the extra . The current camera it will be used on is an old 300D, but there could be an upgrade in the wind in the near future.