I have found you have to learn how to drive a Sprintshift…... by anticipating the change and lifting your foot off the throttle slightly will give you a smooth change. It works for me.
I agree.
We have one of the first 2001 316 sprintshift exambo. The Sprinter sprintshift, being an automated manual transmission, takes on a new learning curve on how to drive one. Pressing the "GO" pedal flat to the floor from standstill has a nasty response. Pressing the "GO" pedal flat to the floor from low speed has a nasty response. You need to learn how to slowly apply pressure to the GO pedal, and never go flat to the floor, to get the best out of the sprintshift. As already mentioned by Daffyfrancis, on hilly & windy roads use manual mode. Leaving it in auto mode, the auto gear changes will happen too late.
Shortly after buying our 2001 316 sprintshift exambo, I spoke to a Vic ambo officer. They hated driving the first Sprinter ambo sprintshift models. They preferred the newer fully automatic transmission Sprinter models.