Chrysler's partnership with Fiat, which helped speed the company out of bankruptcy, has certainly cheered Detroit, American consumers and, of course, the company's almost 39,000 employees.

But forming a product portfolio that will catapult the company into prosperity is an even tougher task.

Questions that must be answered -- and quickly -- include what products to build, what improvements need to be made, how to survive through the next year or two until small cars made by Fiat can be sold here, and even which qualities and aspects of Chrysler's current lineup need to be preserved.

Recently, I took a look at a 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and a 2009 Chrysler Sebring sedan to get some answers.

This is a quiet, value-laden minivan that has been perennially a top seller for the company.

The new version was introduced about two years ago.

For the most part, the Town & Country represents Chrysler at its best.

The fact that it even exists is because this automaker invented the minivan decades ago, which brings us to Chrysler's positives.

The company's biggest strength is its almost endless ability to come up with new, consumer-friendly vehicles and features that are going to draw the attention of buyers.

This model, for instance, had the Swivel 'n Go option that allows a table to be set up in the middle of the minivan floor, surrounded by four seats that can act as chairs for the table. Passengers can watch not only movies, but also some TV channels, and each of the back passengers have their own monitors and headsets.

Another asset: Flexibility. This interior could be moved, shifted, adjusted in countless ways, again, thanks to Chrysler's designed-in flexibility. And no, that same flexibility doesn't come in all minivans.

The problem with this particular minivan was the appearance of the interior and the use of mediocre materials -- and this on an almost $40,000 minivan! Spend that kind of dough on the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna and the buyer gets luxury level appointments.

Chrysler desperately needs to send its bean counters out to lunch while the design staff works on this issue.

Another issue: Driveability.

The minivan, while generally quiet, still had some underlying excessive noisiness during times of acceleration and the hills of Pittsburgh proved a challenge.

At times the 197-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 (16/23) seemed to be straining to make the grade.

I also question why, though the Dodge and Chrysler brands have completely different images, Chrysler insists on having both Chrysler and Dodge minivans that basically look and perform the same.

At a time when funds are short, I think the company could do with providing just one of the brands -- probably Dodge, since it has a sports, not luxury, image -- with a minivan.

That would leave Chrysler with room to make use of its luxury image in other ways through a new model or two that carries an upscale ambience.

Our other test product, the Sebring Touring four-door, front-wheel drive sedan, was powered by a 2.4 liter, 173-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. Fuel economy ratings were 21 city/30 highway.

The Sebring abundantly exhibits another of Chrysler's big assets: value for the dollar.

Standard equipment is generous: anti-lock brakes, power steering, brakes, door locks, cruise control, power accessory delay, air conditioning, split folding rear seat, power windows, tilt/telescope wheels, six speakers, AM/FM radio with DVD/Mp3 player, satellite radio and a lifetime limited powertrain warranty.

At only $21,810, it makes a pretty strong case for buying one of these cars.

The Sebring rides quietly and competently, and the "feel behind the wheel" is terrific.

Steering is nicely balanced with a "right sized" steering wheel for spirited driving.

The suspension does a decent job of soaking up bumps and the brakes are quite competent.

But the Sebring also personifies some of the mountainous challenges that lay ahead for the No. 3 automaker.

The most glaring problem is quality control.

The glove box door on this particular model was clearly crooked and had huge gaps.

The door locks, while quieter than the little "cannons" that accompanied the locking system on an Avenger I tested, still were louder and clankier than they needed to be.

Another issue was the bizarre styling.

The semifastback roof, wide rear end and countless strakes going down the hood and elsewhere clashed and thus did not create a coherent design.

The whole car looked fat, clumsy and poorly proportioned.

Clearly, Chrysler can't afford another design mistake like the Sebring.

The Sebring, in spite of its many strengths in value, competence and handling, needs to go away since it cannot compete against the new Buick LaCrosse due this summer, Ford's sporty muscular Fusion and Chevy's elegant Malibu.

If Chrysler can't replace it right away, the best thing to do would be to advertise the fact that this car, despite some real problems, has more substance and value than competitors' models that cost thousands more.

But even that message will work only so long.

Chrysler does have some models coming out soon that are sure to capture consumers' attention, such as the magnificent 300, which goes a long way to letting Chrysler get back to its glory days.