5 of us will be in northern Phukett for 2 weeks in May. Would we be better off renting a car to explore or just cross our fingers & take taxis?

Phuket is not a large island. The answer depends of what you are planning to do. If all you want is a way to get to restaurants, or a nearby beach use taxis or tuk-tuk. But, if you plan on long excursions to other parts of the island, maybe a van would be better. But, be advised that driving in Phuket/Thailand is a challenge, and not for the feint of heart. Many hotels provide shuttles to other areas, like Phuket City and Patong.

rental car... check out pure car rental...i've had good luck with them

What makes the drink so challenging other than opposite side of road?

I mean "driving"! What makes driving challenging?

The challenge is the traffic and 'suicide' passing by Thai drivers. Signage is terrible. Local roads to beach/marina locations are difficult to determine. We used a Marriott shuttle to get to the Marina to take our sea kayak excursion, and our Thai driver even got lost. To advise you that renting a car is a challenge, is no over statement. I've driven all over the world, and Phuket and Vietnam are two places I would never drive. Just google the accident rates in Phuket. But hey, it's your $ and life!

i found the driving very easy on several occasions... yes the thais have driving problems, but you prepare for that..

drive slowly and observe western driving standards..

signage is ok... get a simple map of course..

If we decide to rent a car, does anyone know if Google Maps on my IPad or IPhone will be of any help?

Google maps is very accurate for Thailand and I find the map apps on my Iphone and Ipad to be accurate. The only draw back is that we, Thailand, have not made the move to 100% 3G yet and thus when using map apps we have to rely on EDGE technology which is slow. The navigation GPS are quick and accurate though, like the Garmins etc.

you need nothing more than a simple map for driving in phuket..