Advertisement: Over 80 percent of the people who test-drive a Zenith c

IMO A. I was confused b/w A and E and rejected E because it says "some cars" and this does not assure over 80% probability of buying a car.

Advertisement: Over 80 percent of the people who test-drive a Zenith car end up buying one. So be warned: you should not test-drive a Zenith unless you are prepared to buy one, because if you so much as drive a Zenith around the block, there is a better than 80 percent chance you will choose to buy it.

If the advertisement is interpreted as implying that the quality of the car is unusually impressive, which one of the following, if true, most clearly casts doubt on that implication?

Paraphrasing - More than 80 percent are buying the car after test drive because Zenith cars quality are unusually impressive. We need to weaken it. Find another possible reason of the sales other than quality.

(A) Test-drives of Zenith cars are, according to Zenith sales personnel, generally more extensive than a drive around the block and encounter varied driving conditions. - No effect because people are still buying them just driving around a block

(B) Usually dealers have enough Zenith models in stock that prospective purchasers are able to test-drive the exact model that they are considering for purchase. - Enough stock cannot be the reason to purchase. Considering can be referred to trying in this context. However, people are not sure whether they will buy it. We can keep this choice until we read the option 'C' (Runner up)

(C) Those who take test-drives in cars are, in overwhelming proportions, people who have already decided to buy the model driven unless some fault should become evident. - People who have already decided to buy X model will test drive the X model. If no fault rise, then end up buying it.

(D) Almost 90 percent of the people who purchase a car do not do so on the day they take a first test-drive but do so after another test-drive. - So, they do not purchase after the first drive. Not giving a logical reason

(E) In some Zenith cars, a minor part has broken within the first year, and Zenith dealers have issued notices to owners that the dealers will replace the part with a redesigned one at no cost to owners. - Out of focus. We are not talking here about Service Quality

ARGUMENT
[prem] 80% who test Z buys it;
[prem] more than 80% chance that you will chose to buy z if test around block;
[con] so, do not test Z unless you are prepared to buy it;
[asum] Z's quality is very impressive, and by testing it, the chances are you will buy it.

WEAKEN
(A) "generally more extensive", does not mean the assumption is not true;
(B) strengthens;
(D) strengthens;
(E) irev;

Ans (C) the reason most buy Z after test is NOT because they feel overwhelmed by its quality after the test, but because they had already decided to buy it in the first place; thus weakening the assumption.

C is the answer.

Premise: Over 80 percent of the people who test-drive a Zenith car end up buying one.
Conclusion: So be warned: you should not test-drive a Zenith unless you are prepared to buy one.

We are to interpret the advertisement to mean that the high percentage of people who buy zenith car after test driving it do so because the quality of the car is unusually high; based on this, we are to find the answer choice which weakens the argument.

We can analyze this argument as a cause and effect argument. In this case, the cause is: A test drive of the Zenith car, while the effect is: purchase the zenith car.

To weaken a cause and effect argument, we need to reverse the cause and effect relationship. What about if people only test drive the car after they have already made up their minds to purchase the car and not that they decide to purchase the car after the test drive? The argument will be weakened since it is not that people decide to buy the car after test driving but rather people test drive the car after making up their mind to buy it.
This is exactly what option C states. Hence C is the right answer.

A) Test-drives of Zenith cars are, according to Zenith sales personnel, generally more extensive than a drive around the block and encounter varied driving conditions. Incorrect as it somehow strengthens the argument rather than weaken it.

(B) Usually dealers have enough Zenith models in stock that prospective purchasers are able to test-drive the exact model that they are considering for purchase. This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the argument.

(D) Almost 90 percent of the people who purchase a car do not do so on the day they take a first test-drive but do so after another test-drive. This does not weaken the argument above. It might even be seen as a strengthener because if the first test drive develops an interest in a buyer to request for a second test drive in the future, then this option strengthens the argument rather than weaken it.

(E) In some Zenith cars, a minor part has broken within the first year, and Zenith dealers have issued notices to owners that the dealers will replace the part with a redesigned one at no cost to owners. Irrelevant to the argument. The argument is not about the after-sales service provided to customers but rather about the high likelihood of those that test-drive the car to buy the car after the test drive.

Advertisement: Over 80 percent of the people who test-drive a Zenith car end up buying one. So be warned: you should not test-drive a Zenith unless you are prepared to buy one, because if you so much as drive a Zenith around the block, there is a better than 80 percent chance you will choose to buy it.
If the advertisement is interpreted as implying that the quality of the car is unusually impressive, which one of the following, if true, most clearly casts doubt on that implication?

(A) Test-drives of Zenith cars are, according to Zenith sales personnel, generally more extensive than a drive around the block and encounter varied driving conditions. - WRONG. Strengthens the argument in the manner that though the cars may be extensive as claimed by sales personnel, it is only after someone drives the car that they buy it.

(B) Usually dealers have enough Zenith models in stock that prospective purchasers are able to test-drive the exact model that they are considering for purchase. - WRONG. Irrelevant to argument.

(C) Those who take test-drives in cars are, in overwhelming proportions, people who have already decided to buy the model driven unless some fault should become evident. - CORRECT. If someone already has made up his/her mind to buy then test-drive is just a formality. Weakens thus.

(D) Almost 90 percent of the people who purchase a car do not do so on the day they take a first test-drive but do so after another test-drive. - WRONG. It somehow rather strengthens the argument by saying that it makes people go for another test-drive.

(E) In some Zenith cars, a minor part has broken within the first year, and Zenith dealers have issued notices to owners that the dealers will replace the part with a redesigned one at no cost to owners. - WRONG. Out of scope.

IMO Answer C.

Advertisement states that 80 percent people who test drive zenith buy it. So if anyone who doesn't intent to buy car should not test drive zenith bcz if you drive zenith even for a block you would desire to buy it.

The most doubtful to the stimulus above would be

That people who test drive zenith have already made up their mind to buy it and the test drive.

IMO C

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Though I understand that D is not the right answer but I took it as a weakener than a strengthener.

The second test drive could also mean that the buyer is not convinced in the first one, considering the fact that 80% of people end up buying it after the first test drive itself.

Option D somehow remain open to debate. But if people are not convinced in first test drive and then come for another drive, it means that they had something in the car that they liked. But
Let's say they had doubt then why would they come again to test drive, ideally they shouldn't.

Had only 70% opted for 2nd test drive, what would have you said then.?? It certainly shows that more people were skeptical about the car's quality who didn't come next time.

lnm87

Generally if you outright like something then you just buy it. The second visit is usually either to clarify a doubt or to just double checking everything. Either way you were left in doubt after your first visit.

I don't think if you reduce 90% to 70% then my opinion/reasoning will change. Because both are relatively high %s.

To conclude, I feel it will remain open to debate.

And for that reason C is the answer because its clearly taking a side. Open options are anyway not the correct answer. As argument is talking about 80% and the option D is taking about 90%, taking the argument on one, i brought 70% just to show that the option is open if we go either way.

TheNightKing lnm87 :- What I think is that the question specifically asks about the implication that "the quality is unusually impressive".

Option D basically can be true for a number of reasons and not just for a reason that the quality of the car was not great. May be all those who took test drives weer short of budget during their first drive but somehow managed to take a loan - I mean basically we are taking one more level of assumption to counter the argument.

Whereas,
Option C is directly attacking the argument by giving us an alternative explanation - people buy these cars after their test drives because they already have made up the mind to buy one and its not the quality that matters to the ones who bought.

What are your opinions on this?

I guess all three of agree that OA is correct at its own place so your reasoning is spot on.

The only discussion I stated is if Option D is a strengthener or a weakener. Either way it is not the correct answer choice.

shameekv1989 TheNightKing

Yes.. that's how C works. It attacks head on with the big claim(unusually impressive) made in the argument and thus weakens it. D hangs in the air leaving us to make one or two or may be three assumptions to make itself worthy contender.

Let the discussion go on for other questions..