Deliverance,
The Typhoon is no F-22 (despite that aircraft's flaws), and it could be argued that it is only half a generation ahead of the teen series when it should be a full generation ahead, should have full LO, etc. but it is leagues ahead of the F-16 - in terms of performance, SA, and kit.
It will never be as useful a strike fighter as the F-35.
But by today's standards Typhoon should be something we take a degree of pride in. A supportable, deployable, capable strike fighter, though with only five squadrons planned, how there will ever be enough to do more than UK AD, QRA and the Falklands beats me.
Like you, I am sceptical when I hear the old "Well, we may be a small force, but our kit/training is better than the US", because normally it's simply not the case. But there are odd exceptions to the "American is better" rule.
And when specific UK capabilities are specifically requested by US commanders, and when USAF people in particular communities laud their UK counterparts, you know you're hitting on one of those exceptions. As the RADEOS PR9 was. As the Nimrod R1 is.