folding bike for trunk

I recommend a Brompton, they're very compact and their folding is
ingenious, designed for repeated and fast folding and unfolding.

They have do have 16" wheels and construction is excellent.

I've had mine under my desk at work no problem and my partner (who is a
teacher) takes hers into school with her daily.

I may be biased however being in the UK!

James Toomey said:

I need a folding bike to keep in the trunk for the times when I drop
the car at the shop 3 miles from work. I already have a good bike so
this would purely be a backup. The compactness of the folding is more
important than its rideability (I also need to fit it under my desk),
so I'd prefer something with 12-16" wheels rather than 20" wheels. I've
played with the Genius Mobiky
http://www.mobikyusa.com/
and it has an excellent folding system. My only concern with that bike
is the complex chain system, which appears to use a proprietary chain,
and wheels which look involved to change a tube on.
I've also played with the Dahon
http://www.dahon.com/
but the Sweet Pea model (12" wheels) is intended for smaller people.
The Piccolo model is a consideration but I haven't seen one in person
yet.
I've read good things about the Bike Friday and the Brompton, but
neither appears to be made with wheels that small.
Just curious if anybody has other suggestions or was in a similar
situation to mine and found a good product?

The bike friday isn't suitable. The Brompton is great, though fairly heavy.

I don't think that the Brompton is worth the expense for your usage,
though if cost isn't important, I'd definitely go with the Brompton.
Otherwise, get the Piccolo.

Forget 12" wheels.

James Toomey said:

I need a folding bike to keep in the trunk for the times when I drop
the car at the shop 3 miles from work. <snip>

How often do you need to drop your car off at the shop? Maybe it would
be better if you spent your money on buying a more reliable car! ;-)

Paul D Oosterhout
I work for SAIC

I drop off my car and walk home.

Also, many garages will deliver you a short distance - and pick you up.

Taxi? Bus?

Or, how about a bike rack? A lot cheaper!

You seem to be spending quite a bit of money on a likely infrequent
problem with perhaps some cheaper solutions. However, if you really
want a folder and are using this as an excuse, go for it! Any excuse
to buy a new bike is fine by me.

Thanks for everybody who responded. I bought a Dahon Piccolo. The
Brompton looked intriguing but the nearest bike shop to Los Angeles
that carries them is 100 miles away. The Dahon rides great, and the
folding is extremely easy to learn and perform. I was a bit
disappointed to see that it doesn't have quick-release wheels, but I
can carry a small wrench so that's not too big of a deal. A good
feature is that the real hub's gear cable unscrews so it's easy to
remove without a tool if you need to change a tire. It folds to a quite
compact size and the price was reasonable. I'd definitely recommend
this bike.