I'm inclined to agree with Slopey. Just unlucky I think. I 've had my AV8OR for over a year now- and it more than does what is says on the tin. I use it for both road and flying. I would recommend it without hesitation. but get some cheap spare Nokia batteries off t'internet as battery life is probably its main weakness.
Edited to add: I've never played with the Garmin 496, but the Garmin GNS430 in our club aircraft does my head in - I just can't get the large and small righthand knobs to do what I want them to do. I~ much prefer the touchscreen options of the AV8OR. Within 3 touches I can get the frequencies of the nearest airport, as well as have extended runway lines of the active displayed on the screen.