The Transformers had better marketing. Period. The Autobot and Decepticon emblems, the rubsigns, the dynamic anime-like cartoon, the Marvel comic, even the higher pricing all worked together to give Transformers the impression of being the "name brand". The smaller Transformers were in no way better than the smaller scale GoBots. The DX Gobots were largely designed with a different aesthetic, and so seemed jankier than their contemporary Transformers counterparts, but compare DX Leader-1 to a vintage G1 Starscream; Leader-1 has working landing gear, Starscream has a stick with a wheel on it IF you haven't lost it already (along with the wings, fists, missles, etc.)
And, yeah, as a franchise, GoBots is largely dead. Hasbro does manage to throw us GoBots fans a bone once in a while, but they would have to work a deal with Bandai to ever revisit the original GoBots designs. Even Bandai's Machine Robo toyline seems to get only sporadic revivals in Japan, though there is a current line called Unitroborn.
Not official names: Tree Rex, Psych Bus, Shutter Bird, and Sky-Byte's cousin Kwik-Byte.