Our house is in south Florida, 2565 sq feet. Presently we have 17 yr old 4 ton rheem split, but the air handler is leaking. Contractor is suggesting xl20i by Trane, 17.5 seer 2 stage with a hefty price ofabout $6,200. The other option he is giving us is Bryant evolution 4 ton 17.3 , 2 stage for about $5,800. We are really confused and don't know which direction to go to

I would have expected the Bryant Evolution to be the higher-priced of the two systems. If it were my choice, it would be the Bryant. In fact, it was, about 3 years ago. Very nice. Be sure to ask for the Dura-Coat coil. It may be as much as $50 more, but worth it.

Thank you, Bryant is a cheaper because the contracter is the wholesaler and gets good discount. I thought Trane was better. What is the basic difference between these two.
Thanks

Go with the Bryant. You can visit the Bryant web site for info on there equipment and the same can be said about Trane. Many times a brand is stronger in one area than the other. This is usually caused by the quality of the distributer of a brand in a given area. In this area Bryant/Carrier are very strong brands but in your area it could be different.
See below for contractor selection help.