That depends largely on where you plan to wander. Downtown Chico, about 5 miles from Chico, CA Airport (CIC-Chico Municipal), can be tricky to drive around. Make life easy by going for something small, fuel-efficient, and simple to handle. That said, Chico is a good base to explore some of the sandy shores in Butte County. If your trip is more about cruising down highways, you may want something with a bit more trunk space and extra legroom. What about a full-size car or a standard SUV?