WhyKnot

Personally, I see and sell more Carrier than Rheem, But I feel they are
roughly equal in quality. Carrier will sell the VS motor module for
about $65 to $100 depending on the size. Not much more than a standard
motor. Thew last time I changed one the total cost, parts and labor,
was about $200.00.

As for duct cleaning, most of the time it is a scam. If you have bare
sheet metal ducts, it might help. If you have ductboard or lined
metal, then skip it.

High efficiency filters can help, but the media filters can have a high
resistance to air flow in certain sizes, especially the 1" thick

AprilAire/SpaceGuard has low resistance in 2.5 ton range, I like them
because low pressure drop and high efficiency. If you go with the
Rheem, get a AprilAire installed in the duct.

If the ducts are leaky, high efficiency filters and UV lights won't do
much good because the infiltration will overpower the filters and UV.

Stretch