If I recall correct that extra was ported from Evolution, so if anything it just needs a rewrite to better leverage current coding methods/standards. Perhaps we need the ability to flag extras for specific issues (Broken in version, Output not chunked, lacks RTFM article (could hook into tracker, and if present they should be linked up), abandon extra, legacy php errors).
That doesn't resolve the underlying problem, but it does allow the community to identify problem extras that could use some assistance. Heck, there could be Save an Extra Saturdays
Granted creating a guideline for new extras could also help, some developers may not understand how to leverage properties, interact with chunks, etc. Some basic code samples, recommend methods for handling specific items, etc?
It would make more sense to correct the extras than add "bloat" to the core, after all the less additional processing required the faster things run, which is a good thing.