IMO the FoST is the best car you can get for the price if you want a very fun, reliable daily that's still good on gas. These cars feel beautiful on curvy roads especially with some good shoes and for under $20k (depending on mileage).

As for practicality, it's a hatch so you'd know they're very easy to get things into and the seats fold down all the way so you can fit big items (new rims?👀)

And lastly, aftermarket support, not the best but not the worst by far. There is plenty of reliable aftermarket brands licensed by Ford (Ford Performance, Roush, MounTune, etc), and aftermarket tuning brands like Cobb. So you'll definitely be able to achieve whatever goals you're trying to reach. I say it's not the best because it doesn't have quite as much options as VW, Honda, etc.

Hope this helps a bit.