My dad worked for volvo so he brought them home. And i find it disgusting volvo can charge so much for such a crap car (volvo have gone way downhill since the 1980's), the commodores and falcons are so much better in every way, and the fuel economy isnt too bad in them, especially the new ones are very good on fuel. also falcons go on gas very easily making them cheaper to run than a corolla. But the only thing is that its hard to find a manual, unless its a performance car.
My girlfriend has a 318bmw and while its a good car, it is incredibly expensive to maintain and repair. So she is now looking for a commodore as she is jealous of my cheap mechanical bills and performance and other things.
Tell your friend Aussie cars in australia is the way to go. They are very good cars for the money.
The cars below are the best his money can buy which are very good cars:
2006 commodore ve omega, 2006 BF Falcon,
or if he wants a fast car 2004 vy SS with the 5.7L V8. Check this link if you want to see the top gear video of the performance of the monaro with the 5.7L V8