Thanks! No offense taken.

We're doing 2 more weeks in Croatia after this layover, so we'll have 2 large checked bags along with our handhelds.
Personally, backtracking into Paris, lugging large bags on/off the train, and dealing with the crowded stations is much more taxing than a scenic drive.
We'll be landing at 9:00AM, so plenty of time to stop frequently along the way & will still be checked in much sooner than if we started by train.
Plan to drive a different route when returning to the CDG Hilton for a night prior to our next leg, so renting and picking up the car at CDG makes more sense to me.

It looks like a lot of the guided tours depart from Bayeux, so staying nearby seems to make sense.

Since you've decided to drive, I'll reiterate my recommendation of the Peace Memorial (museum) in Caen. You'll be passing through Caen, and this is the most "complete" museum of WWII in France. Explore as much as you have time. Other museums you'll encounter during your sightseeing are focused on particular events or aspects of the Normandy invasion. At the Peace museum, we picked up some great info and maps for self-driving tours of the area.

https://normandy.memorial-caen.com/museum

If you settle on Bayeux as a base I would highly recommend the Villa Lara Hotel https://www.hotel-villalara.com/

However, it would appear that the rates have risen since we stayed there when they first opened (not surprising, I think that might have been 2012☺️).

The hotel was very nicely designed with quiet rooms, beautiful bathrooms, comfortable beds, a super breakfast and it was within walking distance of the tapestry, the cathedral and some great restaurants for dinner (can’t remember the restaurant names).