New AC unit

[Mitchell Hein]

I just received a quote from my AC company, these are the two options we received:

Option #1: For a 2-stage Rheem heat pump system the total price will be $8,340.00.

Option #2: For a single stage Tempstar heat pump system the total price will be $7,280.00.

The property is a long-term buy and hold, so we plan on owning for the next 30+ years ideally. It is a duplex, 1,300 sq ft on each side, and we only need to replace the AC/heat on one side right now (this quote is for the one side). We have enough reserves to do either option.

I am leaning towards the more expensive option 1. I am thinking over a 30-40 year time horizon, the nicer system will require less maintenance and also last 3-5 more years, so would end up being the cheaper option in the long run. These properties are in the B to A class range, 2002 built so this is the first time needing an AC system replacement.

I am curious what everyones thoughts are here, would you go with the nicer system since you will have the property long-term, or is the $1,000 cost difference too steep for you?