Nothing wrong with trying to mod or personlaize a car a little to ones tastes. If the definition of boring is reliable and uneventful, then yes, overall Toyota products are on the boring side. I think that's a plus. However, a little customizing isn't going to make the car less reliable.
I'm an old, southern, jingoistic, nationalistic, US military veteran and I drive a Lexus IS350. I don't plan to use anything but OEM parts, filters, and stuff on this car, as it is close to perfection as it came out of the box. How you can try to bring politics into a discussion of filters, is way beyond my comprehension.
If what you said is true, then there would not be any of "those people", drving Toyota/Lexus products and posting here in the first place, so who the hell do you think you are preaching to? :(