As with anything preventive maintainence is the key to longevity. As for $2500, thats low. It depends on your location and what type, efficiency, size, and how much the HVAC dealer wants to make. Some of these folks in this forum are getting downrate TAKEN with the quotes they are posting. Let the buyer beware, there is a hefty markup in HE HVAC equipment.

I'm all for preventive maintenence, but...our new car doesn't require the same number of service calls as our old one. DO new furnaces REQUIRE yearly checks or not?

Re: Longevity. How long should a new (2001) furnace last?
Ten - 15 years? Longer?

Your new car doesn't require service calls for broken bits, but you should still service it as recommended (oil change, fluids, etc.)

Why would a furnace be different? Having it checked over will make sure it's running properly and catch any problems. At least around here (DC area), most of the service plans give priority on service calls, which is annoying but worth having if the heat does go out.

Re: Longevity. How long should a new (2001) furnace last?

15 years on the average for a 90-92 AFUE high efficient unit. 20 years is pushing it, and some brands have failed as early as 10 years or sooner. Corrosion of the heat exchanger is the number one cause, and electronic controls, the second. Repairs are cost prohibitive. When selecting furnaces its important to figure the total cost of ownership. Maintainence, energy savings, life span, and inital purchase cost, extended service agreements. If you have to replace every 15 years it doesn't make a lot of sense to shell out a lot of cash. The extended agreements will keep you covered for maybe the first 10 years should there be a need for major repairs. After that, it's on you.

Oil fired equipment should be tuned up evey year.

heat pumps are close to 0 maintainence. just keep the filter changed and as long as its working right leave it alone.

heimert -- Perhaps I didn't phrase that correctly. Our old car called for a check-up quarterly (oil, filters, etc.). Our new one calls for the same things to be done twice a year. I was trying to see if newer furnaces also require less frequent maintenance.

rpsinfoman -- Thanks for your replies. When you say there's no need to pay tons for a furnace because it's only going to last about 15 years anyway...how much is too much?

I know you can't quote without knowing more about the home, but let's use my 2900 (exterior measure) single floor home in Chicagoland. Ceilings are nine-foot. House's longer dimension is east-west. (We had to add supplemental hot water under-floor heating to the north rooms (because our HVAC sub was an eejit).

It's simply a good common sense approach to maintain your HVAC system yearly.
I offer my customers a first year free maintenance with any new, matched equipment that I install at a price of 100 bucks per system.
Small price to pay for necessary maintenance and piece of mind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tradewinds Heating and Cooling