I wouldn't agree with that statement [underlined above]. I own both a Tikit and a D7 so I've had lots of opportunity to compare them. I have several friends with D7s and one other friend with a Tikit. What makes them different are inherent differences in how they were designed and built. There really isn't a whole lot in common between these bikes other than the fact they fold, have 8spds and have wheels smaller than 26". And it's not a question of my personal evaluation. Every person I know that has had experience with a D7 and a Tikit would take the Tikit if you offered them on or the other. The only reason they'd take a D7 is if it was substantially cheaper.
Where personal preferences come into it is issues like fit, type of commute/riding you do, etc.. Which is why I suggested to the OP that if the D7 was a lot cheaper and he could handle the differences in fold/rolling he would be fine with the D7 since he seems to fit on it fine. You may also not care for any of the features that differentiates them, but that doesn't make them equivalent.
By comparison when I got to test ride a forum member's Birdy I'd say that is a comparable bike to a Tikit in so much as there is a lot of quality and thoughtfulness in the design. I'd say the same about the Bromptons I've ridden - they aren't the same as my Tikit, but the design/quality was definitely in the same class. Whether you liked one or the other would depend on preferences for design features and the type of riding you did.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that when I personally tried both the Tikit and the Brompton I found not only their methods of rolling to be unsatisfactory compared to a Dahon, I also found their ride qualities to be inferior (bested even by the Curve and completely outclassed by any 20" Dahon).
If the tikit (or Brompton) were inherently superior as you claim then such inherent superiority should be apparent no matter who is using it, but this is not the case. Therefore, the only reasonable conclusion is that what really separates the bikes is how their differences fit with each individual's personal taste.
How else can you possibly reconcile my experience with yours? If you have an alternative explanation I'd love to hear it.
P.S. While we're at it. I also object to the general impression out there that people who have owned or own more bikes somehow have a more privileged perspective. I am constantly trying bikes to see if there's anything better out there and the reason I don't buy them is because they mostly don't live up to the hype. Frankly, I think it takes an extremely careless and undiscerning user to buy one bike after another without figuring out ahead of time what will work for them and I wouldn't expect such careless people to have the patience or the time to appreciate the subtleties (particularly the unadvertised ones that haven't been fabricated out of thin air by the marketers) that are enjoyed by more critical/detail oriented folks.
Not that I don't I appreciate your contributions to this forum and the internet in general. I just don't necessarily interpret your experiences (or mine) the same way you do.