We sell a lot of Amana have had pretty good luck with it. $5K for only a
condensing unit seems very high. I know of the lifetime compressor
warranty, but I'm not sure if it is offered on only a condenser
replacement. I sorta think it is only on a system with a matching
evaporator installed at the same time, but I'm not positive. You need to
make sure that the inside unit has an expansion valve, or will have one
installed as part of the installation. Also, make sure that if the new
unit has a 350/370 volt run capacitor they replace it with a 440 volt at
the time of install or no deal. We have been seeing the original
350/370's fail in as little as 2 months. We replace them now when we
install a unit. Other than that, they are a pretty nice unit, and fairly
quiet. Good luck Larry
PS I would shop around a little-- with other reputable contractors--
not cutrate hacks--to see if the price you were quoted is the going rate
in your area. It may well be, but even for a 5 ton here it would be less
than $5K. One more thing-- is this a heat pump?