Reviving an old thread - I was wondering where people had found the information about the change in factory materials for Hound, and came across TFW2005's Wonderfest Report, which includes the following:

Regarding the recent constant price increment: Takara Tomy booth director mentioned that fans have overly demanded for the cartoon aesthetic. So in order to pull off the cartoon aesthetic while maintaining the proper alt mode, the number of parts for each figure has gone up compared to the Masterpiece Datsuns or Wheeljack. The cost of materials has also gone up which also contributes to the rise in pricing. On this matter, Gamelingual let him know that many fans feel that they will be forced to quit the hobby if the prices become too expensive. The response was that this this is something they have discussed with the executives and it contributes to the decisions of what figures will be made next.
Where's the overwhelming demand for cartoon accuracy coming from?

I know there was a huge appreciation for the level of "magic" achieved with figures like Dinobot and Megatron, but I feel that cartoon accuracy is demanded there because the models were so defined.

The G1 cartoon can hardly be called consistent even within itself, let alone being consistent with other sources. I think everyone loved the Datsun, Lancia, and Sideswipe moulds because they gave us a wonderful balance of cartoon likeness, effective transformation, and realistic vehicle. It was a the best representation of everything that that character was - not a screen accurate replica that allows us to re-enact the cartoon.

I feel like the obsession with cartoon accuracy is giving us poorer quality figures at much greater prices, and I for one would gladly sacrifice perfect accuracy for a figure that was more affordable and could be handled more frequently and without needing to be extra delicate.