Hence why we have people going overrating mp-10 as compared to a solid figure mp-1. You have just answered the question, the current mp line is action figure focused not really premium. The box is just a way to deceive collectors thinking it is premium.

Whether I regard the vehicle as first priority over the robot mode, which btw all my binaltech and alternaters are displayed in robot form, the difference is there and noticable.

MP streak, yes, wonderful paint, does it have the same detail level as a Binaltech Streak? nope.
Also when scratched, a metal piece will feel and looks realistic, as you will see bare metal where plastic you wouldn't.

Can paint make a difference? Yes of course, I do model kits. lol
However paint on plastic has its limitation to what metal can show.

I know.....my expectations for the mp line are just way up there. However, this is from someone who started to enjoy collecting Transformers ONLY when binaltech was introduced. Hence why I was happy with mp-1 and then the quick decline when everthing went really cheap but charge you the premium.

I started to love back Transformers because of the premium quality, I am sadly ready to go off after I collected my last few mp checklist. Don't get me wrong that TT didn't do a great job, they did. But it isn't really what I expected from the masterpiece line after mp-1.

Would I be willing to pay more for the metal? Hell yes.