In general you get what you pay for when it comes to an HVAC system. Good equipment and a good installation comes at a premium.

The big brands (Carrier/Bryant, Trane/American Standard, Rheem/Rudd, Lennox) have several models. You could choose a lower end model as you have been quoted with the Rheem. My recommendation is to stay away from the builder's grade equipment. They are not well built.

You are also having duct work replaced. That in itself can be very labor intensive and expensive. That expense is independent of the equipment you buy.

I see you have been quoted a 5 ton condenser and a 100K BTU furnace. How large is your house and where it is located. The best way to save money is to get a properly sized AC and furnace. A load calculation would determine if these are the proper sizes.

Goodman equipment tends to be a little less expensive than others. If its installed properly, it should be quite reliable.

Our house is 1767 sq/ft in Palm Desert, CA. We average 110+ all summer.

Another question I have is the home warranty that came with the house replaced the ac coil about 2 months ago. I was told it was a Carrier coil and all the ac people have said we can reuse that with a new system even if another brand. The model number of the coil is CNPVT6024ALAAAAA. It says Puron and uses R410A refrigerant. Is it true we can use this coil across brands or do we need to focus on a Carrier unit?

We are trying to balance buying a top of the line system with what money we have already put into the house and when we expect to move (probably no more than 5 yrs).

Is a better quality Rheem as good as a Trane or Carrier? I will also look into Goodman. Thanks!

Generally warranty will have limitations with regard to reusing used equipment. Installers mix and match all the time, but generally there are other considerations.

Is warranty affected? Would the price of flushing the used unit be close to the price of replacing the coil with new? Is it a good quality coil or was it a low end coil? Was the used coil installed properly/nicks/bent fins...? Was the coil new when installed two months ago or was it refurbished?

Those are the important questions...

The 100K BTU furnace is twice the size it needs to be. It is being over sized to accommodate the 5 ton AC. The summer design temperature for Palm Desert is 112 degrees. I would want to see a load calculation to see if the AC could be made smaller.

Goodman and Amana is generally the same equipment. It is not a cheaper version of Carrier or Trane. Do a search on "Goodman problems" on this forum to get an idea of issues posters have had. It might be worth taking a risk if you are moving in 5 years.

If your current system uses R22 refrigerant than I recommend you not reuse the coil.

I would stay away from the low end Rheem you have been quoted.

What model is your current outside AC condenser?

Are you using R22 or R410 a (Puron) refrigerant? This is important.

You have a nice Carrier/Bryant evap coil.if it has been contaminated with R22 refrigerant that can be very problematic pairing with a Puron condenser. This needs to be clarified. You should never mix evap coils and outside condensers of different brands..

I would want a two stage 80% eff furnace properly sized for the outside condenser. I would want to see a load calc in writing for both cooling and heating.

Post back with answers.

IMO