I need something solid and simple, something to last something that would cost around 1500$ or a little bit more.
I have not done any market research yet so excuse me if I am not being realistic here.

If you know about a decent and unbiased buyer guide please post a link to it
Also if there is any tool for comparing furnaces side by side that would be fantastic. ( I am hopping that this site exists)

 

Nobody makes junk equipment but there are LOTS of junk installations. The first thing you need to do is determine how much furnace you need. Here's a link to a program to do the calculaton: HVAC Sizing Calculation Software The Heat Loss Calculator HVAC, HVAC/R, HVA
I've used this program & been happy with it. Probably the best $49 you will spend on the project.

 

As a now retired furnace repairman, I recommend Carrier or its other brand names --Payne, Bryant, Dayt and Night.

All forced air furnaces are manufactured to pretty high standards. The reason I favor Carrier is that they are the largest manufacturer of furnaces. So repairmen see more of those furnaces than any other. If they can repair ANYTHING, it's probably a Carrier furnace.

And also because they are the biggest, repair people carry more Carrier parts than parts for other brands. So you are much more likely to get your furnace repaired right away rather than waiting for someone to find parts for you and get them from a distributor.

 

Strange how different parts of the country have different furnace popularity. Around here, we see few Carrier furnaces. Maybe it's because the nearest distributor with any kind of parts inventory is 60 miles away. Trane, Goodman, & the various Nordyne brands are the major sellers here.

 

Hello Grady---

You make a good point.

In your area it sounds like buying a Trane might be a good idea, based on the general ideas of familiarity and parts availability that I mentioned.


And that implies that finding the popular brands in your own area and considering one of them is a strategy worth considering.

I remember someone who proudly showed me their fancy new boiler installation --- everything made in Germany! I wonder how that has worked for them in the intervening decades...

 

As appliance repair man parts availability is huge. I would find a well establish company in your area and see what they sell.