If you rode them back to back you might be surprised. I've probably owned more Bromptons than many people but in a shorter period of time. Regardless of the model there were several things they all shared; poor to mediocre brakes!

When riding them back to back it was pretty interesting to note the differences. The Dahon Piccolo and Sweat Pea don't even remotely compare to the Mini. They may seem to on paper but in reality they don't. The Mini compares more favorably to the Brompton than the Piccolo or Sweat Pea compare to the Mini.

Put a good set of tires on the Mini and move the bars forward a bit and it would move up quite a ways against the Brompton. I've spent quite a few miles on Bromptons and as I've repeatedly said, the Bromptons are great at folding but not really great bikes.

My boss' Brompton is one of the most expensive made. It has pretty much all the upgrades you can get on one. Considering his income level I'm not surprised it isn't gold plated.

In spite of going against what could arguably be called best Bromptons, the Mini stacked up verywell. The Brompton was easily 6 or 7 times more expensive. It is the Ti version and pretty nicely equipped with even a titanium telescopic seatpost and titanium pedal axle and SON hub dynamo. He basically spared no expense and went with custom gearing too.

Am I saying the Mini is as good? No. In some ways it is better! Most notably the gearing and brakes. I like the chassis slightly better on the Brompton because I am more stretched out. The Mini being shorter is more nimble It doesn't have the nifty luggage system of the Brompton nor does it fold as compactly. It is a super compact wheelbase bike and because of that there are sacrifices. I didn't buy it to take on long trips or rides. I bought it for around town use so that my family could ride.

A primary consideration was the wide gear range. Something I absolutely hate about Bromptons. For my usage if Brompton had a wider gear range and better brakes I'd enjoy them a lot more.

On the Mini I can ride it reasonably comfortably for about 5-7 miles. My knees don't hit the bars but if someone had 34" inseam they might have an issue. A Syntace System would probably give me enough room to stretch out more. Still it wasn't met to ride 20 miles at a stretch. It would be a great alternative for someone living in an apartment where space is a premium. It would be a decent multi-mode commuter as well. I'll see about adapting luggage from a Brompton for it and upgrade the tires and see how it is then.

Sure it isn't a Brompton but it doesn't need to be. It isn't like the Brompton is the best folder in the world. It may have about the best fold but that doesn't make it the best folding bicycle. Bottom line is for the money DT wants you get a lot of bike but in a small package. I didn't expect it to be a Brompton killer nor did I want one. Regardless its size will invite comparison whereas there is no comparison in the price. Like all things bicycles are subject to diminshing returns. I'd say a large portion of people considering a Brompton could probably buy the Mini and be quite happy. It does have a very small fold even if not as small as the Brommie but it would suffice for many.

At least we all have choices. Nobody has to agree with mine. Buy what you like. For me it was a GREAT choice because of its small size will be great for my kids and my mom to ride. The internal 8 speed hub means we'll almost always have a good gear for conditions. The good brakes means I am not going to worry about my kids stopping safely. The light weight means I am not going to get a hernia putting the bikes in the back of a car all the time. The low price means I can save and buy 2 of these for about the price of one cheap C model Brompton. For me there isn't much to NOT like about the Mini at this point. YMMV of course.