I think the intended preparation is actually really important. With AP the flow is Learn ch2 algorithm > learn ch3 algorithm>...> do well on test > not have to take calc in college. If you actually prepare a course for rigorous understanding, I suspect you might end up sacrificing your AP score somewhat for much greater gains later on. However, the system only cares about that short term result.
I believe high school students who take college courses can be a great asset for their high school for this very reason.
As a junior in high school I took college algebra at a community college in the evenings. As a result of the conversations with my math teacher, she made many changes to the subjects she covered in her pre-calc and algebra 2 classes.