I would like to get a better look than the stock tires and plastic hubcaps without rubbing.Any suggestions?

 

Wheels are really a matter of looks and personal preference. Get what looks best to you.

To minimize the chances of rubbing, work with a knowledgeable wheel seller who can tell you the best offset for your car.

Depending on what size wheels you get, here are the best tire sizes:

15" (15x6 or 15x6.5) - 185/65-15 tires or 195/60-15 tires
16" (16x7 or 16x6.5) - 215/50-16 tires
17" (17x7 or 17x7.5) - 215/45-17 tires

As for which tire, that depends on what your personal preferences are. In Chico, you probably just need a summer tire (unless you like to go skiing to areas that have snow, in which case you might consider an all-season tire). How much performance (traction and handling on both dry and wet pavement) do you need? Are you willing to pay a higher price for better performance, such as if you take your car to an autocross once in a while? Or is this a daily driver for which you want decent performance but you would also prefer not to spend more than you have to?

For most folks, there are "bang for the buck" budget performance summer tires that offer very good performance on dry pavement and wet pavement, last a long time (maybe 40K miles), and are reasonably priced. Here are prices of such tires from the Tire Rack, per tire:

195/60-15 Yokohama ES100 $74
215/50-16 Dunlop Direzza DZ101 $86
215/45-17 Kumho Ecsta SPT $87
215/45-17 Yokohama ES100 $102

 

P.S. Most places that sell wheels will also sell you tires (usually at Tire Rack prices or similar), and they usually mount and balance them at no additional charge, which can save you $40-80 or more.