I have a VitaMix, and it's on my short-list of things I'd save if my house was on fire. I love that damn blender.
the only thing the vitamix handles better than the blendtec is nut butter and only because of the plunger/tamper.. blendtecs require a separate jar to better handle nut butters.. other than that, it turns whatever you put into it into powder (ever watch the "will it blend?" series on youtube, they turn iphones into dust).. the ninja is great if you enjoy chewable smoothies i guess.. its really about the blade, and build quality.. the ninja uses like 6 sharp blades that just cut everything up.. the blendtec uses dull thick blades that absolutely pummel anything you throw in there.. to the poster that said just get a ninja or a blendtec.. thats absolute nonsense, the ninja isnt in the blendtecs class. the blendtec is clearly on par with the vitamix and does somethings better. thats probably why vitamix tried to steal blendtecs wildside+ jar design..
I got a Blendtec a while back simply because I didn't have to work a plunger into the blender like on the Vitamix. I like the Blendtec because it doesn't leave chunks in the smoothies, either. Either one is probably better than most others in terms of making smoothies.
blendtec is legit. thats what lifetime fitness cafe uses to make the smoothies. commercial as well as home use.
that's the second time the plunger has been mentioned but we've never really had to use it...but maybe that's one of the differences between the G and C series. The G series is a wider container so maybe ingredients don't get caught up as much as the thinner C series.