Todd Turner, president of Thousand Oaks, Calif., consultant Car Concepts Inc., said he can think of at least three more vehicles Chrysler should drop: the Jeep Compass, Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Commander.

The Compass fills a spot also occupied by the Patriot, another compact utility vehicle. Jeep needs a small, fuel-efficient vehicle to hedge against rising gas prices, but it doesn't need two of them, Turner said.

Chrysler is not a strong enough brand to pull off a luxury SUV, such as the Aspen, he said. And the Commander crowds a market already covered by the Grand Cherokee, Turner said.

If Jeep wants to add a large SUV, it needs more separation, he said. The Commander is only 1.9 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee.

"The Commander just has to be stopped," Turner said. "It's so close to the Grand Cherokee that it makes no sense."

Pulling the plug on models, though, is not an easy decision, said Phillippi of AutoTrends.

Even if sales are modest, some vehicles help cover costs for new factory equipment, Phillippi said. The Compass, for example, is made at the same plant as the Patriot and Caliber.