On 97 models the cruise was inable to keep speed up while going uphill because of a limited supply of vacuum to the speed control servo. This seems to have been cured (?) on later models. I have a brand new 2000, the cruise keeps up the speed but to do this my automatic transmission shifts to a lower gear nearly as soon as there is a small hill. I would understand that the CRV's would benefit of a bigger motor but this is not the case, the motor has enough power to clim the hill without diwnshifting. Any body with the same problem? What is your diagnostic... and solution?
 
Thanks,
 
NC

NO PROBLEM with my 5 Speed, the cruise has always worked fine.  I think this problem is isolated to the automatic transmission models.
http://bsalt.com
for more on MY CR-V!!

Normand Choini?re,
J'ai achet? mon 99 CR-V EX (donc, automatique) en automne et suis contente ? savoir que je ne suis pas la seule ? trouver ?a ?nervant de ne pas pouvoir monter une c?te sans downshifting--j'ai m?me eu le m?me ph?nom?ne sur l'autoroute lorsque je conduis contre beaucoup de vent.  D?j?, j'ai l'impression que mon CR-V a ?norm?ment soif (peu-?conomique) et donc j'ai essay? de modifi? ma fa?on de conduire pour am?liorer l'?conomie d'essence un peu.  Quand-m?me, je ne peux m?me pas faire 500 km sans faire le plein.  Je crois que ce sont mes deux seules plaintes:  manque de puisance, appetit pour de l'essence. 
 
Si quelqu'un a une solution ? sugg?rer, je l'appr?cierais beaucoup.
-Jill

There is a solution to this by buying a Jeep Cherekee Cruise Control. It is a bigger canister. This should keep the speed the same even on up hills, but the CR-V may downshift though.
toby

The "canister" solution seems to be good for 97 models which were not able to keep up with speed (lack of vacuum... and weak pressure on the "gaz pedal" by the cruise) but I am not at allsure that this will settle the kickdown problem. The question is why do they downshift? Because of a lack of vacuum or because the trigger point is so narrow that the transmission goes one gear down as soon as it detects a minimal lost of speed?
 
NC 

i think that the engine is not powerful enough to keep the speed it is told to.If it's not powerful enough, you loose speed and it is forced to downshift. I own 2 cars, and the other car doesn't downshift until i go uphill and the gear is too high to maintain the speed.