Hello everyone, I am new in this forums and I think I have done my due diligence searching for topics regarding the bikes that I am interested in. Apologies if there is something that I have missed but anyway, I am looking for a folding bike because I do not want to deal with a bike rack and I have limited space in my apartment.

* Weight: 160lbs
* Height: 5'8"
* Budget: I can stretch up to $600 ish
* Casual Rider
* User: Casual riding in the park, board walk, weekend rides, nothing on an everyday basis. I live in san diego so I do not really bike to the train station or to work. I do not know a lot about bicycles

Initially, I was thinking of getting an entry level folder as I am only planning on doing casual weekend rides on the parks, beaches, neighborhood. I live close to the ocean. My area is relatively flat but we do have some hills in San Diego. Currently, I do not see riding hills in the foreseeable future but I thought I'd spend the extra cash and buy something that is multi-purpose (hence, the interest in the mid-range folding bikes).

I have researched and have found the following the interest me:
1) Giant Expressway 2 - A couple LBS have this in stock. Tried one of them and it feels okay. I could not find any specs from their website though (including weight) nor reviews from people who vouch for it but this is 7 speed and has an aluminum frame. Considering this because of the price of $440 out the door + free tune-ups from my LBS.

2) Raleigh Folding i8 - Like the Giant Expressway, this one is in stock in one of my LBS (I am going to test it out later today if I get out of work early enough). I am considering this because of the IGH. Price is $640 online or $650 cash out the door from my LBS with free tune-ups.

3) Dahon Midrange Bikes - No LBS has any bike on the floor. Can't test any of them. Reason for Dahon: Seems like a lot of people vouch for it and that it has a magnetic clip system (the others do not)
- Speed D7 / Mariner D7 (do I need rust resistant paint since I live close to the ocean? It is not rust proof)
- Speed P8 / Mu P8 - On the top of my budget ($599/$699) and online only, hence no free tuneups from a lbs.

4) Downtube 9FS ($499) - online only - it seems there's a lot more people on here that has the downtube than the giant and raleigh folder


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Also, since I am a casual and weekend-only rider, I am open to getting an entry level folder from the following:
- Dahon Speed Uno (would you recommend a single speed when I can get a multispeed for the same price) - around $379 online
- Dahon Eco C6 - around $379 online
- Downtube Nova 7SP - around $299 + shipping ($30+) online

Lastly, is there a reason to get an IGH over derailleur if my LBS offer free tune-ups for life? Again, apologies as I do not know a lot about bicycles. Thanks in advance!