Tacoma, Golf, Subaru…etc?

I am a college student who lives in Georgia. In the next couple of years, I plan to buy my first car for myself. Growing up in south Georgia, I obviously like trucks. But having a little Honda Civic throughout high school and now through college, I have seen the benefits of having a more economical car and honestly the little thing can be fun to drive sometimes. Once I get my bachelors degree, I will be in grad school most likely around the Atlanta area. I love the new Tacomas, but don't know if the extra cargo space will really justify the less economical truck that won't really get used much while I'm in school. So I've looked into other cars such as the Golf and some Subaru models. Just to wrap this long post up, I want my first car to not only be one that is useful and affordable, but one that is fun to drive and I will want to talk about years later. I mean, come on, it is my first real car! So what is your opinion on the matter? Will the Tacoma be just fine, or something like a Golf be better? Also, would you go manual or automatic? I love the feel of driving a stick, but worry about it in Atlanta traffic. Thanks in advance.
Added (1). **Note: I have looked into the Subaru XV that has become popular. It looks great, but some people have been disappointed in its power output and said that it was rather boring and, at times, a bit uncomfortable to drive particularly when merging onto the interstate. If any of you have experience with this model, I would greatly appreciate your input.

Read more: Tacoma, Golf, Subaru…etc?