Well I have a sansamp GT2 and what you described are all the things I like and dislike about the sansamp. I used to do a live rig that was ampless.. I ran a line of effects, ended up with the GT2, then hit a real DI box (the sansamp is not a DI, that's a nice addition to the behringer if it works) and then outl Live on stage i was very impressed with the sansamp, but that's because it's running through an amp and being blown back at me at high volume. Recording at home with the sansamp, i got thin, brittle distortion that just sounded like DI'd distortion pedal sound.
For home recording I dont think you can beat a pod, or do what I do.. stick your 12 watt amp cranked to 10 or 12 in an isolation box with a mic trapped inside If you just want simple, real tube sounds.. you can go that route. You can always add effects in post as far as choruses and stuff like that. When I record, i just want the best tone possible without effects.. then color the sound afterward.
I generally love behringer stuff. I wonder how it would be to run that pedal into their tube preamp (which is just 40 us bucks) and then into your system. Might warm it up some and I think it has cabinet simulation built into it.