Critical Reasoning

Editor of an automobile magazine: The materials used to make older model cars (those built before 1980) are clearly superior to those used to make late model cars (those built since 1980). For instance, all the 1960’s and 1970’s cars that I routinely inspect are in surprisingly good condition: they run well, all components work perfectly, and they have very little rust, even though many are over 50 years old. However, almost all of the late model cars I inspect that are over 10 years old run poorly, have lots of rust, and are barely fit to be on the road.

Which of the following is an assumption required by the argument above?

A) The quality of materials used in older model cars is not superior to those used to make other types of vehicles produced in the same time period.
B) Cars built before 1980 are not used for shorter trips than cars built since then.
C) Manufacturing techniques used in modern automobile plants are not superior to those used in plants before 1980.
D) Well maintained and seldom used older model vehicles are not the only ones still on the road.
E) Owners of older model vehicles take particularly good care of those vehicles


OA D

Source: Veritas Prep