Economical audio interface options for new SONAR user

Hi all, long story short... I was entrenched in the Roland VS- world for many years. My VS-2480 finally gave up the ghost. So I looked into the world of DAWs and have decided on SONAR Professional, which I am enjoying using very much so far.
 
I have an old Tascam US-144mkii which is working just fine (even in Windows 10) but I will soon be limited by its two-channel input. I do not have a ton of money due to being partially disabled, but I would like to be able to record my whole band at some point in the near future.
 
I found the Tascam US-16x08 for only $299 and it looks like it should fit the bill. Is there another similarly-priced alternative I have overlooked that might be better? Is the Tascam even any good? The bad drivers talk doesn't scare me, it looks like they have fixed that problem. And don't say Behringer... my opinion: they make high-feature low-quality junk and you likely won't change that opinion... lol.
 
I like how the PreSonus stuff is expandable, but to get 16 inputs I would need to buy two $500 pieces of gear it looks like. That is a very big chunk-o-change for me. Am I missing something here that would make me want to save-up for this stuff?
 
Man I was spoiled with the 16 input channels of the VS-2480 but it was limited in other ways, like mine doesn't work anymore for one thing :-/
 
Thanks for any advice you can give.

MakerDP
...
I found the Tascam US-16x08 for only $299 and it looks like it should fit the bill. Is there another similarly-priced alternative I have overlooked that might be better? Is the Tascam even any good? The bad drivers talk doesn't scare me, it looks like they have fixed that problem. And don't say Behringer... my opinion: they make high-feature low-quality junk and you likely won't change that opinion... lol.
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Two big thumbs up on the US-16x08. The v1.04 driver is really solid. I'm getting low latencies. I think it's just about the best bang-for-the-buck audio i/f there is. A really solid bit of kit. $300 is it's regular price, but can be found from time to time for $250. I got mine on an MF Stupid Deal of the Day for $200. Point being? It's good bang-for-the-buck at it's regular price. Anything less than that? Act fast! If you need it now, don't let the lack of a current sale hold you back. No buyer's remorse with this product.
 
Can't say the same for anything PreSonus. I've got an AudioBox 44VSL whose driver was problematic under Win7 and failed completely under Win10. PreSonus' solution? Mark the old driver as Win10 compatible! No support. No updates. Nada. They make great hardware...and then abandon it, support-wise. If it works for you? Fabutastic! If not? Hunh? Say what? Is there anybody out there? You'll be joining the dinos in the La Brea tar pits.
 
Edit: One other thing about the US-16x08...you can actually use all of the I/O it supports...without a second box. The US-20x20 supports more simultaneous I/O, but not out of the box. You can have any combination of mic and line or instrument inputs...up to 8...due to the combo XLR/TRS input jack. If you need more than 8 physical inputs, you need a second box (not free) connected by ADAT or S/PDIF. You can get 2 US-16x08 for about the price of 1 US-20x20. You need 16 mic inputs? Get a second US-16x08 (which defaults to being a straight-through mic pre when not connected via USB) and hardwire the 8 Line Outs to the first US-16x08's 8 Line Inputs. That gives you 16 high quality discrete mic preamps for less than $600. On USB 2. That's only $37.50/preamp at the regular price!

I don't know a lot but all the focusrites under $1,000 are the most popular and have served me well.  They are built like a tank, extremely dependable and very quality sound. 
 

Thanks for all the input everyone.
 
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a "mint-condition used only once" Tascam US-16x08 from "the world's largest online auction site" for only $225 + $17 shipping. It should be here late this week or early next.
 
I'll use my two-channel Tascam for remote video-audio recording.
 

I think the Tascam 16 channel series of interfaces has always been the best bang for the buck bar none. 
 
I have the older us1641. That was replaced by the us1800 and now the one you have purchased. They have always had a street price of around $300. 
 
I can use all 16 inputs no problem. 
I use the 8 XLR inputs for mikes directly 
I then use the back panel line inputs fed from line outs of a mixer.  You can purchase a mixer that outputs 4 signals for under $100. 
I use the instrument inputs from various scources like amplifier line outs or DI boxes. 
The one option I have that most don't is I can input to the SPDIF via my Yamaha 01v Mixer. 
I can record keyboards ( or digital drum pads) as MIDI.
So now thats 18 channels all with a $300 interface. 
 
Note to all interested : 
If I use WDM mode I can use the USB stereo out from my Yamaha MG UX 16 mixer. Which is also possible with most other audio interfaces.  My Focusrite 6i6 does not run in WDM mode so you need to check into this first. So if you have an extra say, 4 x2 interface or any other amount, that gives you extra channels. It does not have to be the same brand or model. You can always record audio in WDM mode with out issue. You switch back to ASIO for overdubs and mixing and going crazy with VST's.