Originally Posted by noglider

And yet a few people buy Bromptons, and some of them are not affluent, or at least not very affluent. It reminds me of an aunt I had (RIP) who didn't have a high income. She would buy a Volvo new every 20 years or so. For her, it was practical because the cars are reliable and more durable than other cars. She used the cars daily for as long as it made sense, and perhaps it really was a practical move. It's a move that many of us don't consider because we look at the initial outlay. And it's also what keeps Volvos and Bromptons as niche products, because you won't see the money it saves (or quality of life it provides) unless you are convinced to buy it.

I've known two people here in the City who have Bromptons and point out that they don't need to join Citi Bike because of their Bromptons. Membership is about $200/year so that's arguably cheaper than Brompton ownership, but they can be compared.