PITTSBURGH -- Chrysler -- the nation's third biggest automaker, which also makes Dodge and Jeep -- has announced it will no longer lease any vehicles.

The rest of the big three -- Ford and GM -- are reportedly considering tightening their leasing standards.

Leasing has long been an attractive option for people who always like to be driving a newer car. It can also be cheaper. But that appears to be changing.

"The American car companies are finding out that the leasing business is disappearing," Carnegie Mellon University economist Robert Strauss said.

"I think you'll see the same thing in the credit markets and automobiles that you're seeing in housing or anything," said Dan Biondi, of Biondi Lincoln-Mercury. "They're going to be a little bit more particular with what they're looking for."

That means people who have bad credit may also have a tough time leasing.

The value of sport utility vehicles plummeted when drivers began ditching their big cars last year, and the car companies began losing a fortune on SUVs that were turned in after leases were up.

The credit squeeze on Wall Street has also left banks even more reluctant to finance your lease.

"They want to sell these leases after they sign them in the dealer's showroom and put them out there in the secondary market, and no one wants to touch them because they're a risk," Strauss said.

Biondi said fuel-efficient cars that hold their value should be far easier to lease.

"Smaller vehicles are going to stay in demand," he said. "Supply is going to be limited on those vehicles."

These new rules will not affect anyone who is currently leasing a car.