The mx5 NC are generally very soft as standard ( too soft for me ) and I’m sure yours must either have been modified or something is seized from your description , the steering isn’t lotus good but with a good suspension setup can be much better than standard, the suspension is very adjustable and a full setup with adding extra castor increases steering feel and feedback.
( I’ve not had an Elan , but 2 Elises and the MX5 is much more comfortable and rides much smoother, and once setup well the steering is about 80% as good )
I’m new to MX5 but mine, ‘06 SE, has a rather jacked up look, ie: lot of space between tyre and arch. It certainly comfortable and I haven’t found it to roll excessively in normal spirited driving. This setup, if it fits, would seem a solution. Standard setups seem to go quite cheaply as people up grade so this may be worth exploring. The devil will be in the detail so you would need a more experienced member to help you follow this up.
I suppose a straight swap of cars is out of the question?
